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FROM    MIDDY   TO   ADMIRAL   OF 
THE    FLEET. 


FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL 
OF   THE    FLEET. 

THE   STORY  OF  COMMODORE   ANSON 
RE-TOLD    TO   BOYS. 


By    Dr.    MACAU  LAY, 

AUTHOR    OF    "  TRUE   TALES   OF   TRAVEL  AND  ADVENTURE,"    "  STIRRING 
STORIES   OF    PEACE   AND   WAR,"  ETC. 


NEW   YORK: 

THOMAS    WHITTAKER, 

2  and  3,  BIBLE    HOUSE. 

1891. 


TO   BOYS 

WHO  LOVE  TO  READ  OF  THE  SEA  AND  OF  NAVAL  ADVENTURE 

AND   TO    READERS   OF    ALL   AGES 

WHO   ADMIRE  PATRIOTIC    SPIRIT   AND    NOBLE   CHARACTER, 

THIS    BOOK,    ABOUT   GEORGE    LORD   ANSON, 

IS    INSCRIBED    BY 

THE   EDITOR. 


PREFACE 


ANSON'S  'Voyage  Round  the  World'  was  once 
a  book  second  in  popularity  only  to  '  Robin- 
son Crusoe.'  When  the  gallant  Commodore,  in 
the  year  1744,  brought  home  to  England  his  ship 
the  '  Centurion,'  laden  with  silver  captured  from  the 
Spanish  Manilla  galleon,  in  a  fight  which  will  be 
ever  memorable  in  naval  history,  he  was  the  hero 
of  the  day,  and  of  many  a  day  after.  His  name 
was  in  every  mouth,  and  his  portrait  in  every 
window.  And  it  was  like  one  of  the  '  triumphs ' 
in  ancient  Rome  when  the  treasure  was  brought 
from  Portsmouth,  and  when  thirty  waggons  laden 
with  Spanish  dollars  and  bars  of  Mexican  silver 
were  drawn  through  London  streets  to  the  Tower, 
the  ship's  company  heading  the  procession,  with  flags 
flying  and  bands  playing,  escorted  by  troops,  and 
vast  crowds  lining  the  way.  With  impatience  the 
public  waited  for  the  publication  of  the  narrative  of 
the  voyage,  and   many  were  the  editions  called  for, 


viii  PREFA  CE. 

although  readers  in  those  days  were  few  compared 
with  now. 

Before  Anson  returned  to  England,  war  with 
France  had  broken  out.  Again  he  distinguished 
himself,  and  increased  his  popularity.  In  a  great 
battle  he  took  six  ships  of  war,  and  in  other  ways 
did  good  service  to  his  king  and  country.  Nor  was 
it  only  at  sea  that  he  did  this  good  service.  He 
was  not  merely  or  mostly  a  fighting  man,  like  old 
Admiral  Benbow.  He  was  as  wise  in  council  as  he 
was  brave  in  war,  and  it  was  with  his  help  above  all 
others  that  the  great  Lord  Chatham  made  his  country 
take  its  right  place  among  the  European  Powers. 
It  was  by  Anson's  advice  that  Howe  got  the  com- 
mand of  the  British  Fleet,  while  yet  only  a  captain, 
just  as  Chatham  gave  to  Wolfe,  then  a  very  young 
officer,  the  command  of  the  expedition  which  con- 
quered Canada.  Many  of  the  great  admirals  of  after 
years — Saumarez,  Brett,  Keppel,  Hyde  Parker,  and 
others  famous  in  naval  annals — were  trained  by 
Anson,  or  had  served  under  him  in  the  '  Centurion ' 
in  the  voyage  round  the  world.  No  wonder  that 
such  a  man  should  receive  a  peerage,  and  rise  to 
the  highest  professional  rank  of  '  Admiral  of  the 
Fleet.' 

It  is  a  strange  thing  that  the  name  of  Anson  has 
fallen  into  comparative  oblivion,  and  that  the  story 
of  his  life  is  now  little  known.  A  remarkable  proof 
of  this   occurred   during  the  reign  of  William   IV., 


PRE  FA  CE. 


'  our  Sailor  King.'  On  the  anniversary  of  Duncan's 
great  victor}',  the  battle  of  Camperdown,  the  King 
and  the  Lords  of  the  Admiralty  went  down  to 
Greenwich  and  heard  service  in  the  chapel  of  the 
Hospital,  and  in  the  evening  they  dined  in  state  at 
St.  James's  Palace.  After  dinner  the  King  made  a 
speech,  as  he  was  fond  of  doing,  and  on  this  occasion 
he  made  a  very  long  one,  referring  to  many  of  the 
great  men  and  glorious  events  in  the  history  of  the 
British  Navy.  When  they  were  taking  coffee  after- 
wards, the  King  said  to  Sir  John  Barrow,  the  Secre- 
tary of  the  Admiralty,  '  I  fear  I  forgot  to  mention 
the  name  of  Anson,  and  his  action  off  Finisterre  :  I 
am  not  sure  that  I  know  the  details  correctly.  Pray 
send  me  an  account  of  it  to-morrow.'  There  are 
many  nowadays  in  the  same  ignorance,  not  only  as 
to  the  victory  off  Finisterre,  but  of  the  whole  events 
of  Anson's  life.  This  may  be  chiefly  because  the 
greater  glories  of  the  naval  victories  of  the  war  which 
culminated  with  the  Nile  and  Trafalgar  have  caused 
older  times  to  be  forgotten.  But  there  were  great 
admirals  before  Nelson  ;  and  the  name  of  Anson  is 
one  of  the  most  illustrious  of  them,  and  worthy  of 
being  remembered  with  honour. 

What  was  the  estimate  of  him  in  former  days 
may  be  seen  from  the  way  in  which  Cowper  speaks 
of  him,  in  his  touching  and  beautiful  poem,  '  The 
Castaway,'  which  he  says  was  suggested  by  an 
incident  in  the   narrative  of  the  voyage   of   Anson, 


x  PREFA  CE. 

1  than  whom  England  could  boast  no  braver  chief, 
nor  ever  ship  left  Albion's  coast  with  warmer 
wishes  sent.'  A  seaman  was  lost  one  stormy  night, 
and  could  not  be  rescued,  though  seen  long  strug- 
gling with  the  billows.  The  sad  loss  of  this  "  man 
overboard '  touched  a  responsive  chord  in  the  mind 
of  the  poet,  at  that  time  under  despairing  melancholy 
as  to  his  own  doom  : — 

'  For  misery  still  delights  to  trace 
Its  semblance  in  another's  case  ; ' 

'  We  perished,'  says  Cowper, — '  each  alone, 
But  I  beneath  a  rougher  sea, 
And  whelmed  in  deeper  gulfs  than  he.' 

For  the  reference  to  Anson  the  poem  is  now  recalled 
about  this  poor  castaway  : — 

'  No  poet  wept  him ;  but  the  page 

Of  narrative  sincere, 
That  tells  his  name,  his  worth,  his  age, 

Is  wet  with  Anson's  tear ; 
And  tears  by  bards  or  heroes  shed 
Alike  immortalise  the  dead.' 

The  biography  of  Anson  by  Sir  John  Barrow, 
founded  chiefly  on  official  records  preserved  at  the 
Admiralty,  deals  largely  with  his  administrative 
labours,  after  he  had  risen  to  his  high  position  as 
a  Peer  and  Admiral  of  the  Fleet.  But  there  is  far 
greater  interest  in  the  adventures  and  exploits  of  his 
early  career.  It  is  of  these  that  the  present  volume 
principally  treats,  as  more  attractive  to  young 
readers  ;    and     this    whether    in     England     or    the 


PREFA  CE. 

Colonies,  and  also  in  America,  for  the  story  of  Anson 
belongs  to  a  period  as  to  which  all  English-speaking 
people  should  feel  common  interest. 

The  intention  at  first  was  to  reprint  the  story 
of  the  '  Voyage  Round  the  World/  one  of  the 
most  famous  events  in  Anson's  career  ;  but  there  is 
much  that  is  interesting  in  other  periods  of  his 
life,  from  his  early  years  till  he  gained  his  peerage 
and  became  Admiral  of  the  Fleet.  By  his  long  and 
admirable  administration  at  the  Admiralty,  Lord 
Anson  did  much  to  establish  the  strength  and  glory 
of  the  British  Navy. 

With  the  narrative  of  the  '  Voyage  Round  the 
World  '  is  given  the  record  of  the  perils,  adven- 
tures, and  fate  of  the  other  ships  of  the  squadron. 
Anson's  own  ship,  the  '  Centurion,'  was  the  only  one 
left  of  the  fleet  that  sailed  from  England,  and  with 
it  alone  he  captured  the  Spanish  galleon,  one  of 
the  '  famous  fights '  in  naval  history. 


CONTENTS 


CHAP.  PAGE 

I.    ENTERING   THE   NAVY  !    THEN   AND    NOW         .  .  I 

II.    GEORGE   ANSON'S   EARLY    SERVICES  IN   THE   ROYAL 

NAVY  ........       14 

III.  EQUIPMENT    OF   COMMODORE   ANSON'S    SQUADRON  .       23 

IV.  THE   PASSAGE    FROM    ST.    HELEN'S   TO   THE    ISLAND 

OF    MADEIRA        .......       38 

V.    THE   STORY   OF    DON   JOSEPH    PIZARRO'S    FLEET        .       44 
VI.    FROM     MADEIRA    TO    ST.     CATHERINE'S,     OFF     THE 
COAST    OF    BRAZIL,    WITH    AN    ACCOUNT   OF   THAT 
ISLAND        .  .  .  .  .  .  .  -57 

VII.    COMMODORE  ANSON'S    PLANS    FOR   THE  VOYAGE   TO 

THE    SOUTH    SEAS 63 

VIII.    FROM     ST.     JULIAN     TO    THE    STRAITS    LE    MAIRE, 

AND    TO    CAPE    NOIR 69 

IX.    TO   JUAN    FERNANDEZ  ......       79 

X.    AT    JUAN    FERNANDEZ 82 

XI.    ABOUT    ALEXANDER    SELKIRK  .  .  .  -93 

XII.    ABOUT   ROBINSON    CRUSOE,   AND   THE   SUBSEQUENT 

HISTORY    OF    JUAN    FERNANDEZ  .  .  .     1 04 

XIII.  ARRIVAL    OF    THE    '  GLOUCESTER  '    AT    JUAN     FER- 

NANDEZ      112 

XIV.  ARRIVAL    OF    THE    '  ANNA  '    PINK,    AND    THE    STORY 

OF    HER   ADVENTURES    SINCE    PARTING    COMPANY    121 


xiv  CONTENTS. 

CHAP.  PAGE 

XV.    THE   WRECK    OF   THE    '  WAGER  '  .  .  .    129 

XVI.    PREPARING    FOR    DEPARTURE    FROM   JUAN    FER- 
NANDEZ— STATE    OF     THE     CREWS    FROM   THE 

RAVAGES    OF   SCURVY 1 34 

XVII.    FIRST   VENTURES    IN   THE    SOUTH   SEAS   AGAINST 

THE    SPANIARDS I41 

XVIII.    THE     '  CENTURION'S  '    CRUISE    AFTER     LEAVING 

JUAN    FERNANDEZ MORE    PRIZES    .  .  -151 

XIX.    CAPTURE    OF    THE  TOWN   OF    PAITA,    AND   WHAT 

HAPPENED   THERE 1 63 

XX.    RETURN   TO   THE   SHIPS   WITH   THE   SPOIL.  .    1 74 

XXI.    ftow    ANSON     SETTLED     DISPUTES     ABOUT     THE 
TREASURE  TAKEN  AT  PAITA— FURTHER   CRUIS- 
ING   IN   THE   SOUTH   SEAS  .  .  .  .    1 86 
XXII.    TO    QUIBO,    AND    THENCE     TO    THE    COASTS     OF 

MEXICO I95 

XXIII.  COMMERCE    BETWEEN    MANILLA   AND   ACAPULCO    207 

XXIV.  CRUISING     OFF    ACAPULCO     FOR     THE     MANILLA 

SHIP       ........  217 

XXV.    VOYAGE     ACROSS     THE     PACIFIC — DESTRUCTION 

OF   THE    ' GLOUCESTER  '              ....  230 

XXVI.    THE    'CENTURION'    BLOWN    OUT   TO   SEA    .            .  240 
XXVII.    WHAT    PASSED     ON     BOARD    THE     '  CENTURION  ' 

WHEN    DRIVEN    OUT   TO   SEA   ....  247 

XXVIII.    FAREWELL     TO     TINIAN,    WITH     SOME    ACCOUNT 

OF   THE    LADRONES    ISLANDS  ....  250 

XXIX.    FROM    TINIAN    TO    MACAO  .  .  .  .255 

XXX.    PROCEEDINGS   AT   MACAO 262 

XXXI.    THE  TAKING    OF   THE   MANILLA   GALLEON              .  280 

XXXII.    PROCEEDINGS    IN   THE   RIVER   OF   CANTON             .  295 
XXXIII.    PROCEEDINGS     AT     CANTON     AND      DEPARTURE 

FOR    ENGLAND 306 


CONTENTS. 


CHAP.  PAGE 

XXXIV.    ARRIVAL   AND   RECEPTION    IN    ENGLAND  .  .    318 

XXXV.    ANSON   AT   THE   ADMIRALTY     .  .  .  .327 

xxxvi.  anson's  engagement  off  finisterre  .  344 

XXXVII.    ANSON    FIRST     LORD      OF    THE     ADMIRALTY 

THE   SEVEN   YEARS'   WAR      ....    353 
XXXVIII.    LAST     SERVICES      OF     ANSON — HONOURS     AND 

TITLES 36a 


APPENDIX. 

NOTE 

A.  ENTERING   THE   NAVY    IN   OLD   TIMES  .  .  -371 

B.  CAPTAIN    COOK'S    REPORT     ON   THE   HEALTH    OF     HIS 

CREW 373 

C.  CAPTAIN    WOODES     ROGERS'    ENCOUNTER    WITH    MA- 

NILLA   SHIPS   IN    1709    .  .  .  .  .  .377 

D.  DOLLARS,    AND    '  PIECES    OF    EIGHT  '  382 

E.  LETTER    FROM    ONE   OF   ANSON'S    LIEUTENANTS  .    382 

F.  ANSON'S   TROUBLE   WITH   THE   CHINESE    MERCHANTS    385 

G.  ANSON'S   PORTRAITS   AND    DRESS        ....    387 
H.    THE    FIGURE-HEAD    OF   THE    '  CENTURION  '  .  .    389 


COMMODORE   ANSON,    IN    1 774. 
[Fainted  ly  A .  K.  Pond  on  his  return  from  the  South  Seas.~\ 


CHAPTER    I. 

ENTERING   THE  NAVY:    THEN  AND  NOW. 

T  N  the  old  times  there  were  very  strange  and 
■*-  unusual  ways  both  of  getting  into  the  service  of 
the  Royal  Navy  and  of  rising  in  rank  when  a  first 
commission  had  been  obtained.  History  abounds  in 
instances  of  such  promotion,  and  there  was  nothing 
improbable  in  the  story  which  Mr.  Kingston,  a  great 
writer  of  tales  of  the  sea,  called  '  From  Powder 
Monkey  to  Admiral.' 

The  famous  Admiral  Benbow,  to  take  a  well- 
known  example,  was  of  very  humble  origin.  When 
he  was  a  boy,  living  with  his  mother  in  a  cottage  in 
a  Shropshire  village,  he  was  left  in  charge  of  the 
house  one  day  when  his  mother  went  out  marketing. 
He  had  long  cherished  a  desire  to  go  to  sea,  and 
the  present  chance  proved  irresistible.  He  went 
out,  locking  the  cottage  door  after  him,  and  hung 
the  key  on  a  hook  in  a  tree  in  the  garden.  He 
found  his  way  to  the  coast,  and  was  taken  as  a 
cabin-boy  on  board  a  merchant  ship.  He  went 
many   voyages,   saving   a   little  money,  and,  let  us 

i 


FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 


hope,  sending  some  to  the  old  woman  in  Shropshire. 
When  he  reached  the  age  of  thirty  he  had  risen  to 
the  command  of  a  ship  trading  to  the  Mediterranean. 
Attacked  by  a  '  Sallee  rover/  he  gallantly  repulsed 
these  Moorish  pirates,  and  took  his  ship  safe  into 
Cadiz.  He  brought  with  him,  it  is  said,  thirteen  of 
the  heads  of  the  pirate  crew,  preserved  in  brine,  and 
delivered  them  to  the  magistrates  of  the  town,  in 
presence  of  the  Custom  House  officers.  The  tidings 
of  this  strange  affair  spread  far  and  wide,  and 
reached  the  ears  of  the  King  of  Spain,  Charles  II., 
at  Madrid.  He  sent  for  the  bold  English  seaman 
to  come  to  him,  received  him  with  great  honour,  and 
wrote  a  letter  on  his  behalf  to  our  king,  James  II. 
King  James  gave  him  command  of  a  ship,  and  this 
was  how  he  got  his  introduction  to  the  British 
Navy.  He  served  with  distinction  on  many  seas 
in  the  reigns  of  William  III.  and  of  Queen  Anne. 
Before  the  Duke  of  Marlborough  had  begun  his 
victorious  career,  Benbow  had  broken  the  power  of 
France  on  the  sea. 

Rank  and  routine  were  powerful  in  those  days,  as 
they  are  now  ;  but  when  times  of  national  peril  come 
the  best  men  are  wanted,  and  Benbow  was  promoted, 
out  of  turn,  by  royal  command,  to  the  rank  of  Vice 
Admiral,  and  was  sent  to  look  after  the  fleet  of 
Admiral  Ducasse  in  the  West  Indies.  There  he 
closed  his  life,  and  in  the  little  church  of  St.  Andrew's, 
Kingston,  Jamaica,  his  body   lies,  and    a  memorial 


ENTERING  THE  NA  VY:    THEN  AND  NOW.    3 

stone  records  his  renown  as  a  '  true  pattern  of 
English  courage,  who  lost  his  life  in  defence  of 
Queen  and  country.' 

But  what  about  the  cottage  in  Shropshire,  and 
the  key  hung  on  the  hook  ?  Many  years  passed 
before  he  returned  to  the  old  place.  The  tree  had 
grown  faster  than  he  had,  and  though  the  key  was 
out  of  his  reach,  there  it  still  was,  hanging  on  the 
hook.  He  was  'Rear  Admiral  of  the  White'  by 
this  time,  and  to  his  friends  he  told  the  tale. 
Whether  it  is  literally  true  or  not,  it  is  a  legend 
that  is  cherished  by  the  good  town  of  Shrewsbury, 
which  is  proud  to  claim  him  as  a  son.  The  story 
at  least  attests  the  fact  of  the  humble  birth  and 
origin  of  Admiral   Benbow. 

Another  sailor  boy,  in  the  early  part  of  last 
century,  rose  to  be  an  Admiral  in  the  British  Navy. 
As  Captain  Hopson  he  commanded  a  ship  when 
Anson  first  set  foot  on  the  deck  of  a  man-of-war. 
This  Hopson  was  of  as  lowly  birth  as  Benbow. 
Born  at  Bonchurch,  in  the  Isle  of  Wight,  he  was 
early  left  an  orphan,  and  was  apprenticed  by  the 
parish  to  a  tailor.  Sitting  one  day  alone  on  the 
shop-board,  needle  in  hand,  he  was  struck  by 
the  sight  of  the  squadron  coming  round  Dunnose 
Point.  Quitting  his  work,  he  ran  to  the  shore, 
jumped  into  a  boat,  and  rowed  for  the  Admiral's 
ship.  He  always  loved  the  sea,  and  could  handle 
his    oars  well.     The    officer  on    deck   allowed  him 


.  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 


to  come  on  board,  heard  his  plea,  and,  sending 
back  the  boat  in  tow,  let  the  lad  join  the  crew  as 
volunteer.  The  sailors  liked  the  boy's  spirit,  and 
spoke  kindly  to  him. 

The  very  next  morning  the  English  fleet  fell  in 
with  a  French  squadron,  and  a  warm  action  ensued. 
Young  Hopson  obeyed  every  order  with  ready 
alacrity  ;  but  after  some  two  or  three  hours'  fight- 
ing he  became  impatient,  and  asked  how  the  affair 
was  to  be  ended  with  the  ship  with  which  they 
were  engaged.  The  sailors  explained  that  they 
must  fire  away,  and  the  fight  go  on,  till  the  enemy 
struck  their  flag,  pointing  to  the  mast-head.  '  Oh,' 
said  the  lad,  '  if  that's  all,  I'll  see  what  I  can  do.' 

The  two  ships,  with  the  flags  of  the  commanders 
on  each  side,  were  now  engaged  at  close  quarters, 
yardarm  and  yardarm  ;  most  of  the  rigging  clouded 
with  the  smoke  of  the  guns.  This  favoured  the 
purpose  of  the  brave  youth,  who  mounted  the  shrouds 
through  the  smoke  unobserved,  gained  the  French 
Admiral's  mainyard,  then  climbed  with  agility  to 
the  main-topgallant  mast-head,  and  soon  had  the 
French  flag  safely  wrapped  round  his  arm,  to  bring 
it  down  with  him. 

It  was  soon  seen  that  the  enemy's  colours  had 
disappeared,  and  the  British  sailors,  thinking  they 
had  been  hauled  down,  raised  loud  cheers  of  victory. 
The  Frenchmen  were  thrown  into  confusion  by  this, 
and  the  fire  slackened,  as  many  men  ran  from  their 


ENTERING  THE  NA  VY:    THEN  AND  NOW.     5 

guns  in  the  panic.  The  French  Admiral  knew  he 
had  not  surrendered,  and,  supposing  that  the  colours 
had  been  shot  away,  or  by  some  accident  had  dis- 
appeared, was  disposed  to  continue  the  action.  But 
at  this  juncture  the  ship  was  boarded  by  the  English 
and  taken.  Hopson  had  by  this  time  descended 
the  shrouds  with  the  flag,  which  he  triumphantly 
displayed. 

The  sailors  greeted  him  with  astonishment,  and 
cheers  of  approval.  The  Admiral,  on  hearing  of  the 
exploit,  sent  for  Hopson,  and  said,  '  My  lad,  I  believe 
you  to  be  a  brave  youth.  From  this  day  I  order 
you  to  walk  the  quarter-deck,  and  if  your  future 
conduct  is  equally  meritorious,  you  shall  have  my 
protection  and  patronage.'  Hopson  made  every 
effort  to  maintain  the  good  opinion  of  his  patron  ; 
and  by  his  behaviour,  and  his  attention  to  duty,  he 
gained  the  good  will  and  respect  of  the  officers  of  the 
ship.  This  was  his  first  step  on  the  ladder  of  pro- 
motion, and  in  time  he  went  rapidly  through  the 
grades  of  the  service  till  he  attained  the  rank  of 
Admiral. 

Thus  we  see  that  it  was  not  impossible  for  boys  to 
rise  in  those  times  from  a  very  humble  position. 

We  have  begun  our  book  with  this  reference  to 
Benbow  and  Hopson,  for  the  sake  of  showing  that 
in  old  times  it  was  possible  to  rise  from  the  very 
humblest  grade  of  life  to  high  rank  and  honour  in 
the  navy.     Anson  did  not  begin  at  so  lowly  a  state 


FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 


as  (  cabin  boy '  or  '  powder  monkey,'  but  he  had  to 

enter  the  navy,  like  many  others  nearly  down  to  our 

own  day,  merely  as  a  volunteer.     This  was  how  the 

famous  Arctic  voyager,  Captain  Parry,  afterwards  an 

Admiral,  and  Governor  of  Greenwich  Hospital,  first 

joined  the  navy.      His  father,  Dr.  Caleb  Parry,  was 

a   well-known  physician   at   Bath,    at  the  Grammar 

School  of  which  place  William  Edward  Parry  received 

his  early  education.     Miss  Cornwallis,  an   intimate 

friend  of  the  family,  took  a  great  liking  to  the  boy, 

and  thought   that   a  youth    of  so   much   brightness 

and  spirit  was  well  fitted  for  a  sailor's  life.      Asking 

Edward  if  he  would  like  to  go  to  sea,  '  Very  much,' 

he   answered,  '  if   my    father   and    mother  consent' 

A  near  relative  of  this  lady,  Admiral  Cornwallis,  was 

at  this  time  in  command  of  the  Channel  Fleet  off 

Brest.     The    '  Ville    de    Paris,'    one   of  the  French 

prizes   now  belonging   to  the   British  Navy,  was  at 

Plymouth,  about  to  sail  to  join  the  Channel  Fleet  as 

flag-ship.       Miss  Cornwallis  wrote   to   the  Admiral 

asking  if  he  would  allow  young  Parry  to  join  his 

ship.     '  Send   him   to    Plymouth   at   once,'   was  the 

Admiral's  reply,  saying  that  he  had  got  him  appointed 

to  his  own  ship  as  a  '  volunteer  of  the  first  class.' 

The  very  next  morning  he  left  Bath  in  charge  of 

an  old   and   trusty   man-servant,  who  took  him   to 

Plymouth,  and  did  not  leave  him  till  he  saw  him 

fairly   settled    on    board   the  '  Ville   de  Paris.'     To 

Edward  Parry  everything  on  board  ship  was  strange 


ENTERING  THE  NAVY:    THEN  AND  NOW.     7 

and  new.  He  had  never  before  seen  the  sea,  nor 
any  vessel  except  the  small  craft  that  came  up  the 
Avon  to  Bath.  When  the  faithful  Thomas  returned, 
he  described  how  his  young  master  seemed  struck 
with  amazement  at  the  sea  and  the  huge  line-of-battle 
ships  ;  but  he  soon  began  eagerly  to  examine  every- 
thing, and  to  inquire  about  everything  from  all  who 
had  time  to  listen  to  his  questions.  While  thus 
employed  he  saw  one  of  the  sailors  coming  down 
from  aloft,  and  instantly,  before  the  astonished 
Thomas  could  utter  a  word  of  protest,  the  boy  was 
far  up  the  rigging,  and  never  stopped  till  from  the 
mast-head  he  waved  his  cap  in  triumph.  The  alarm 
of  old  Thomas  attracted  the  notice  of  the  sailors, 
and  a  group  of  those  who  witnessed  the  feat  gathered 
round  the  boy  as  he  reached  the  deck,  and  greeted 
him  heartily  as  '  a  fine  fellow,  and  a  true  sailor  every 
inch  of  him.' 

That  was  how  young  Edward  Parry  made  his 
first  appearance  on  board  ship.  His  conduct  pleased 
the  Captain,  Ricketts,  and  the  Chaplain,  and  all  the 
officers,  and  the  Admiral  took  kindly  notice  of  him. 
Next  year  he  got  his  appointment  as  midshipman, 
and  when  he  left  to  join  the  '  Tribune '  frigate  the 
Admiral  gave  a  handsome  testimony  to  his  character 
and  good  conduct. 

Unfortunately  there  is  no  record  of  the  way  in 
which  George  Anson  got  his  first  introduction  to  life 
on  board  ship.     We  know  he  began  as  a  '  volunteer,' 


8  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

and  have  no  doubt  he  got  appointed  through  some 
friend,  as  Parry  did.  He  did  not  spring  from  the 
humblest  grade  of  life,  like  Benbow  and  Hopson,  for 
he  belonged  to  a  good  old  family  in  Staffordshire. 
He  was  born  at  Shugborough,  near  Cohvich,  in  the 
house  which  had  been  bought  by  his  great-grand- 
father, Thomas  Anson,  in  the  reign  of  Queen 
Elizabeth. 

But  before  we  come  to  narrate  his  actual  story 
after  getting  on  board  ship,  it  may  be  interesting 
and  useful  to  tell  boys  who  read  this  book  how  in 
our  own  day  an  entrance  to  the  British  navy  can  be 
obtained.  It  is  no  longer  to  be  done  by  patronage, 
or  by  lucky  adventure,  as  in  the  cases  we  have 
mentioned.  Every  boy  who  desires  to  join  the 
navy  has  to  go  through  a  regular  course  of  study, 
and  to  pass  a  strict  examination.  It  would  take  too 
long  for  me  to  give  all  the  rules  and  regulations,  but 
an  account  will  be  found  in  the  '  Boy's  Own  Paper ' 
for  July  1890  how  boys  become  'naval  cadets,'  a 
grade  corresponding  to  the  {  volunteers  of  the  first 
class '  in  Sir  Edward  Parry's  time.  It  is  written 
by  Captain  Bedford,  C.B.,  one  of  the  Lords  of  the 
Admiralty,  and  formerly  in  command  of  the  training- 
ship  for  young  naval  cadets,  the  '  Britannia,'  at 
Dartmouth,  where  the  sons  of  H.R.H.  the  Prince 
of  Wales  received  their  education  for  the  sea,  and 
passed  their  examination,  like  other  youths  who  enter 
the  navy. 


ENTERING  THE  NA  VY:   THEN  AND  NOW.     g 

Captain  Bedford  supposes  the  case  of  a  boy  '  fired 
with  the  idea  of  becoming  a  naval  cadet,'  and  tells 
how  he  is  to  carry  this  idea  into  effect.  '  The  first 
step/  says  Captain  Bedford,  '  is  to  obtain  a  nomina- 
tion. About  sixty  cadets  are  now  being  entered 
every  six  months,  and  three  times  that  number  of 
nominations  are  given.  Admirals  when  they  hoist 
their  flags  are  allowed  to  nominate  one,  and  also 
captains  when  they  first  hoist  their  pennant  in 
command  ;  but  these  absorb  very  few,  and  nearly 
all  the  nominations  are  given  directly  from  the 
Admiralty. 

1  Four  cadetships  are  given  annually  to  sons  of 
gentlemen  in  the  colonies,  and  a  few  Service  cadet- 
ships,  not  exceeding  five  in  a  year.  These  cadets 
are  required  to  pass  the  test-examination  only ;  all 
others  have  to  compete. 

'Before  being  examined  by  the  Civil  Service 
Commissioners  the  candidates  are  required  to  pass 
a  medical  examination,  which  is  very  strict.  The 
limits  of  age  are  :  for  the  June  examinations,  not 
less  than  thirteen  nor  more  than  fourteen  and  a  half 
years  of  age  on  the  15th  of  July  following  ;  and  for 
the  November  examination,  the  same  limits  on  the 
1  5  th  of  January  following. 

1  The  examinations  are  held  in  London  and  at 
Portsmouth,  and  commence  the  second  Wednesday  in 
June  and  the  last  Wednesday  in  November.  The 
examination   is  in  two  parts — a  test,  and  a  further 


FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 


examination.  There  are  six  subjects  in  the  test- 
examination — viz. :  Arithmetic,  Algebra,  Geometry, 
English,  French,  Scripture.  Candidates  are  further 
examined  in  mathematics  (more  advanced  than  in 
test-examination),  Latin,  Geography,  English  History, 
Drawing. 

'  In  arithmetic,  the  candidate  must  obtain  half 
marks,  and  in  each  of  the  other  subjects  of  the 
test-examination  40  per  cent,  of  the  marks  allotted 
thereto. 

'  The  final  order  of  merit  is  decided  by  the  sum 
of  the  marks  obtained  in  the  test  as  well  as  in  the 
further  examination. 

'  A  candidate  who  passes  the  test-examination,  but 
does  not  succeed  in  the  competition,  will  be  entitled 
to  compete  at  the  next  examination  provided  he 
is  within  the  limits  of  age  at  that  time  ;  and  a  can- 
didate who  is  debarred  by  illness  from  attending  the 
examination  may  have  another  nomination  provided 
he  is  within  the  limits  of  age. 

1  The  papers  set  at  the  examinations  are  published 
soon  afterwards,  and  may  be  purchased  from  or 
through  any  bookseller,  so  that  it  is  easy  to  get  a 
good  idea  of  the  kind  of  papers  that  are  set. 

'As  a  matter  of  fact,  the  curriculum  at  any  good 
school  is  sufficient  preparation  for  boys  of  average 
ability,  but  it  is  necessary  to  bear  in  mind  that  a 
certain  percentage  of  marks  must  be  obtained  in  the 
subjects  of  the  test-examination.' 


ENTERING  THE  NA  VY:   THEN  AND  NOW.     u 

For  many  years  prior  to  1857,  when  the  'Britannia' 
system  of  training  naval  cadets  began,  boys  entering 
the  navy  as  officers,  having  obtained  a  nomination, 
had  to  appear  before  a  doctor,  and  if  the  candidate 
looked  healthy  his  ordeal  was  very  short.  He  was 
made  to  run  across  the  room,  jump  over  a  chair  or 
something  of  that  kind,  had  to  take  a  long  breath, 
got  a  slap  on  the  back  or  a  dig  in  the  ribs,  and  was 
dismissed  with  a  kindly  '  You'll  do.'  Then,  a  sum 
in  the  first  four  rules  and  a  scrap  of  dictation  having 
been  more  or  less  successfully  accomplished,  the 
small  boy,  aged  perhaps  twelve  and  a  half  or  thirteen 
years,  donned  the  blue  uniform  with  brass  buttons, 
and  was  sent  off  to  take  his  chance  in  a  sea-going 
man-of-war  as  a  '  volunteer  of  the  first-class.' 

It  will  easily  be  understood  that  this  was  a  very 
rough  experience,  but  it  was  supposed  to  be  harden- 
ing ;  and  in  days  when  scientific  knowledge  was  at 
a  discount  in  the  navy,  and  when  an  ounce  of  practice 
was  considered  worth  more  than  a  ton  of  theory 
in  the  education  of  naval  officers,  it  answered  the 
purpose. 

At  the  same  time  it  must  be  mentioned  that  the 
authorities  were  not  altogether  blind  to  the  advan- 
tages of  some  more  systematic  course  of  education  ; 
for  as  early  as  1729  a  naval  academy  was  established 
in  Portsmouth  Dockyard  for  forty  students ;  their 
ages  at  admission  were  between  thirteen  and  sixteen. 
In    1806  the  name  of  the  school  was   changed   to 


12  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

Royal  Naval  College.  In  1816  the  age  was  fixed 
at  from  twelve  and  a  half  to  fourteen  years.  The 
course  lasted  two  years,  and  then  the  students  went 
to  sea.  But  only  a  small  part  of  the  officers  required 
to  supply  the  wants  of  the  service  could  be  passed 
through  this  college,  and  in  1837  it  was  abolished, 
and  the  system  alluded  to  above  was  made  general. 
At  the  same  time  instructors  were  provided  in  all 
large  ships  to  teach  the  midshipmen  when  at  sea. 

The  present  '  Britannia '  system  originated,  as  we 
have  said,  in  1857.  Cadets,  as  they  were  then 
called,  after  passing  an  easy  entry  examination, 
were  sent  to  the  '  Illustrious,'  a  stationary  jury-rigged 
training-ship  for  young  seamen  at  Portsmouth,  and 
went  through  a  course  of  instruction,  which  at  first 
extended  over  a  period  of  nine  months.  This  was 
increased  to  fifteen  months  after  a  few  years  ;  and 
finally,  in  1869,  it  settled  down  to  the  present 
arrangement  of  two  years. 

It  was  soon  found  necessary  to  devote  a  ship 
entirely  to  the  cadets,  and  in  1859  the  '  Britannia,'  a 
three-decker,  which  had  carried  the  Admiral's  flags 
in  the  Black  Sea  during  the  first  part  of  the  Russian 
War,  was  appropriated  for  the  purpose.  She  was  at 
first  stationed  at  Portsmouth,  but  this  being  found 
an  unsuitable  locality,  she  was  moved  in  i860  to 
Portland ;  but  this  was  also  soon  condemned,  as 
communication  with  shore  was  often  interrupted  by 
the  weather.     So  in  1863  the  change  was  made  to 


ENTERING  THE  NA  VY:  THEN  AND  NOW.     13 

Dartmouth.  Here,  at  all  events,  no  sea  or  wind 
would  interrupt  the  passage  to  and  from  the  shore  ; 
moreover,  the  deep  water  allowed  the  ship  to  be 
moored  very  close  to  the  bank.  There  was  lovely 
country  round,  which  the  boys  could  roam  about 
without  fear  of  their  getting  into  much  trouble.  A 
fine  playing-field  was  available  within  easy  reach, 
and  boating  could  be  indulged  in  to  their  hearts' 
content. 

The  first  '  Britannia '  was  an  old  ship,  and  began 
to  show  signs  of  decay,  so  in  1869  a  fine  three- 
decker,  one  of  the  last  of  the  steam-liners  of  the  old 
class,  was  substituted.  She  was  much  altered,  to 
fit  her  for  her  use  as  a  training  school,  and  the  ac- 
commodation was  supplemented  by  the  '  Hindostan,' 
an  old  two-decker,  moored  ahead  of  the  •  Britannia,' 
and  connected  to  her  by  a  bridge.  Here  naval 
cadets,  to  the  number  of  sixty  or  seventy,  are  trained, 
till  they  are  prepared  for  being  sent  to  ships  in 
commission.  From  naval  cadet  the  next  step  is  to 
be  a  midshipman,  or  '  middy,'  as  the  young  officer 
is  familiarly  called.* 

*  There  is  no  way  into  the  navy  now  as  a  '  combatant  officer ' 
except  through  the  '  Britannia.'  Full  particulars  as  to  admission 
to  all  branches  of  the  service  are  given  in  the  '  Quarterly  Navy 
List'  (Eyre  &  Spottiswoode,  price  3^.).  Also  in  the  'Queen's 
Regulations  and  Admiralty  Instructions  for  the  Government  of 
H.M.  Naval  Service '  (Clowes,  or  Longmans,  2s.  6d.).  Both 
books  are  official,  and  edited  at  the  Admiralty. 


CHAPTER    II. 

GEORGE  ANSON'S  EARLY  SERVICES  IN   THE 
ROYAL  NAVY. 

/~*  EORGE  ANSON  was  born,  as  has  been  stated, 
^-^  at  Shugborough,  in  the  parish  of  Colwich,  on 
the  23rd  of  April,  1697.  Nothing  is  recorded  of 
his  education,  or  of  the  events  of  his  early  years. 
One  would  like  to  know  how  he  got  his  first  love  of 
the  sea,  and  why  he  made  choice  of  the  naval  pro- 
fession, while  yet  living  at  home  in  a  rural  parish. 
It  may  have  been  from  reading  some  book  with 
stories  of  Drake  and  Frobisher,  and  other  heroes 
and  explorers  of  Queen  Elizabeth's  reign  ;  or  of 
the  defeat  of  the  Spanish  Armada,  the  fame  and  the 
traditions  of  which  stirred  the  hearts  of  English 
boys  in  succeeding  generations.  Or  there  may  have 
been  in  the  village  some  old  sailor,  who  in  younger 
days  had  fought  under  Blake  against  Van  Tromp 
and  the  Dutchmen,  who,  after  the  Spaniards,  aspired 
to  the  sovereignty  of  the  seas.  Whatever  may  have 
been  the  bias  given  to  Anson's  mind  in  his  boyhood, 
and  whatever  the  motive,  of  patriotism,  or  ambition, 


GEORGE  ANSON'S  EARLY  SERVICES.       15 

or  sheer  love  of  adventure,  he  managed  to  get  to  the 
coasts,  and  to  enter  the  British  Navy.  The  earliest 
mention  of  his  name  in  official  records  has  been 
found,  when  he  is  entered  in  the  books  of  the 
'Ruby,'  in  January  1712,  as  a  'volunteer.'  From 
the  '  Ruby '  he  changed  to  the  '  Monmouth,'  and 
from  this  to  the  '  Hampshire,'  where  he  received 
his  acting  order  as  lieutenant.  As  Captain  Peter 
Chamberlain  commanded  all  these  ships — the 'Ruby' 
from  1706  to  1712 — it  is  probable  that  Anson 
entered  the  service  under  this  officer,  who  seems  to 
have  liked  the  young  volunteer,  and  was  liked  by 
him,  as  he  was  with  the  same  commander  in  three 
successive  ships. 

No  record  was  formerly  kept  in  the  Admiralty  of 
the  services  of  young  gentlemen  entering  the  navy, 
whether  with  commissions  or  as  volunteers,  until 
they  had  served  the  required  time,  and  passed  the 
necessary  examinations  for  a  lieutenant's  commis- 
sion. Anson,  who  had  joined  the  '  Ruby  '  in  1 7 1 2, 
when  in  his  fifteenth  year,  now,  in  his  nineteenth  or 
twentieth  year,  was  serving  in  the  '  Hampshire,'  a 
frigate  in  the  Baltic  fleet,  under  the  command  of 
Admiral  Sir  John  Norris.  It  was  when  with  Captain 
Chamberlain  in  the  '  Hampshire,'  and  serving  in  the 
Baltic,  that  Anson  became  a  lieutenant  in  the  navy. 

The  Baltic  fleet,  under  Sir  John  Norris,  consisted 
of  eighteen  sail  of  the  line,  besides  frigates  and 
smaller  vessels.     What  caused  so  powerful  a  British 


16  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

squadron  to  go  to  the  Baltic  in  those  times  must  now 
be  explained.  Sweden  was  then  the  greatest  northern 
power,  and  the  eminence  attained  in  the  previous 
century  under  the  heroic  Gustavus  Adolphus  had 
been  maintained  and  increased  under  the  ambitious, 
restless,  and  eccentric  •  Charles  XII.  Charles  was 
not  satisfied  with  being  the  foremost  military  chief 
of  Northern  Europe,  but  he  sought  to  make  Sweden 
a  great  naval  power,  in  order  to  cope  with  the  rising 
power  of  Russia  under  the  Czar  Peter,  who  had 
himself,  in  Holland  and  England,  worked  as  a  ship- 
builder with  a  view  to  creating  a  great  Russian 
navy. 

Jealous  of  this  new  power,  Charles  XLI.  had  de- 
clared war  with  Russia,  and  was  resolved  to  possess 
the  sovereignty  of  the  Baltic  Sea.  The  Swedes  had 
no  less  than  twenty-four  sail  of  the  line,  two  of  them 
three-deckers  of  one  hundred  and  ten  guns  each. 
He  managed  to  keep  up  this  fleet,  utterly  beyond 
the  natural  resources  and  population  of  his  kingdom, 
even  after  his  signal  defeat  at  Pultowa  in  1 709,  his 
exile  in  Turkey,  and  his  strange  adventures  till  his 
return  to  his  kingdom. 

Under  the  pretext  that  ships  trading  to  St. 
Petersburgh  carried  to  that  port  warlike  stores  and 
ammunition,  Charles  XII.  searched  and  captured 
English  and  Dutch  merchant  vessels.  It  was  on  ac- 
count of  this  insolent  attack  on  neutral  commerce  that 
Sir  John  Norris,  in  command  of  an  English  squadron, 


GEORGE  ARSON'S  EARLY  SERVICES.       17 


was  sent  to  the  Baltic.  In  July  17 16  he  was  joined 
by  a  Russian  fleet  of  nineteen  sail,  commanded  by 
Admiral  Count  Apraxin,  under  whom  was  serving 
the  Czar  Peter,  with  his  flag  flying,  as  Vice-Admiral 
of  the  Blue.  The  combined  fleets  entered  the  port 
of  Revel,  and  there  Sir  John  Norris  asked  permission 
to  wait  on  the  Czar,  who  received  him  in  the  flag-ship 
of  the  Russian  Admiral.  The  Czar  returned  the 
visit,  when  he  was  received  by  the  British  Admiral 
with  salutes  and  marks  of  every  respect.  The  Czar 
was  very  curious  in  his  inquiries,  as  well  as  courteous 
in  his  civilities  ;  and,  as  Sir  John  Norris  said,  '  there 
is  not  a  part  of  our  ships  he  is  not  desirous  of 
examining.' 

The  two  fleets  were  joined  at  Revel  by  a  Danish 
squadron,  and  putting  to  sea  they  formed  order  of 
battle, — the  Russians  placed  in  the  centre  out  of 
compliment  to  the  Czar,  the  English  in  the  van,  and 
the  Danes  in  the  rear,  while  a  few  Dutch  ships  of  war, 
and  some  of  the  English,  were  sent  to  cruise  for  the 
protection  of  the  trade  up  the  Baltic.  The  Swedes, 
on  hearing  what  was  taking  place,  made  the  best  of 
their  way  to  Carlscrona,  and  there  remained  quiet 
under  the  shelter  of  the  fort,  the  king  having  received 
warning  from  Sir  John  Norris  that  if  any  English  ship 
was  again  molested  stern  reprisals  would  promptly 
be  ordered. 

It  was  when  thus  serving  in  the  Baltic,  on  a 
vacancy  occurring  by  a  lieutenant  of  the  '  Hampshire  ' 

2 


18  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

becoming  invalided,  Sir  John  Norris  gave  Anson  an 
acting  order,  as  Admirals  can  do  when  at  sea  ;  and 
this  was  confirmed  at  home,  which  is  also  necessary. 

In  the  following  year,  17 17,  Anson  was  appointed 
lieutenant  of  the  '  Montagu,'  and  in  this  ship  he  had 
the  good  fortune  to  share  in  a  famous  action,  when 
Admiral  Sir  George  Byng  (afterwards  Viscount  Tor- 
rington)  attacked  a  powerful  Spanish  fleet,  consisting 
of  twenty-seven  ships  of  war,  besides  a  number  of 
bombs  and  fire-ships,  under  Don  Antonio  Castanet, 
with  four   rear-admirals   under  him.     Byng   fell    in 
with    and    chased    the    Spanish    fleet    all    day   and 
through  the  night.     The  Spaniards  detached  six  of 
their  ships,  and  Byng  ordered  Captain  Walton,  of 
the  '  Canterbury,'  with  five  sail,  to  pursue  them.     The 
rest  of  the   Spanish  fleet   was   overtaken    off  Cape 
Passaro,  when  Byng  commenced  a  vigorous  attack, 
capturing  five  sail  of  the  line  and  two  frigates,  with 
many  prisoners,  including  the  Admiral  and  one  of 
the  Rear  Admirals.     The  Spanish  Admiral's  ship,  the 
'  Royal   Philip,'   74  guns  and  650  men,  soon    after 
the  arrival  of  the  prizes  in  Port  Mahon,  blew  up,  and 
every  soul  on  board  perished.     Thirteen  of  the  ships 
escaped,  but  of  these  three  were  soon  after  taken, 
sunk,  or  wrecked. 

The  fate  of  the  six  ships  which  drew  off  from 
the  main  fleet  during  the  night,  and  were  chased 
by  Captain  Walton,  is  connected  with  a  story  of  the 
British  commander  which  was  long  remembered  in 


GEORGE  ANSON'S  EARLY  SERVICES.       19 


the  service.  The  despatch  to  the  Admiral,  report- 
ing his  proceedings,  was  not  a  wordy  affair,  as  such 
communications  often  are,  but  ran  as  follows : — 

1  SIR, — We  have  taken  and  destroyed  all  the 
Spanish  ships  and  vessels  which  were  upon  the 
coast,  the  number  as  per  margin.     I  am,  etc., 

'G.  Walton.' 

Anson  remained  in  the  '  Montagu  '  until  he  was 
appointed  to  the  command  of  the  '  Weazle  '  sloop, 
in  June  1722.  In  this  ship  he  was  actively  em- 
ployed during  the  remainder  of  the  year  in  the 
North  Sea,  watching  and  capturing  smugglers  from 
the  ports  of  Holland  laden  with  spirits  and  other 
contraband  goods.  From  the  '  Weazle '  he  was  pro- 
moted, on  the  1st  of  February,  1723,  to  be  captain 
of  the  '  Scarborough,'  and  was  ordered  to  fit  her  for 
immediate  service  at  sea.  In  March  of  the  following 
year  the  '  Scarborough '  was  despatched  to  South 
Carolina,  with  instructions  to  protect  the  trade 
generally  against  pirates,  who  were  committing 
depredations  on  the  coast  of  that  settlement ;  to  pre- 
vent illicit  commerce,  and  to  grant  convoys  to  and 
from  the  Bahamas.  He  was  also  instructed  to 
keep  a  vigilant  look-out  on  Spanish  cruisers,  who 
had  been  directed  to  injure  as  far  as  they  could  the 
British  settlements  which  were  nearest  to  their 
possessions  in  Florida.  This  strained  relation  with 
Spain    continued,    especially    after    the    cession    of 


20  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

Gibraltar  and  of  Minorca  to  Great  Britain.  It  was 
ascertained  that  a  secret  engagement  had  been 
entered  into  between  the  King  of  Spain  and  the 
Emperor  of  Germany  to  recover  these  places  by 
force  of  arms,  in  case  they  were  not  amicably  sur- 
rendered, according  to  a  promise  said  to  have  been 
made  by  George  I.  to  the  Spanish  Ambassador  in 
London.  An  expedition  was  actually  prepared  for 
attacking  Gibraltar,  but  the  plan  was  thwarted  by 
the  timely  arrival  of  a  British  squadron,  under  Sir 
Charles  Wager  and  Admiral  Hopson.  Orders  were 
sent  out  to  Anson  to  destroy  all  Spanish  ships  ap- 
proaching the  coast  of  Carolina,  so  that  the  feeling 
of  antagonism  between  the  two  nations  was  strong 
on  both  sides  the  Atlantic. 

A  vacancy  occurring  in  the  '  Guarland '  frigate 
by  the  death  of  the  captain,  Anson  removed  himself 
into  her,  and  sent  home  the  '  Scarborough,'  which 
was  in  much  need  of  repair.  Peace  was  for  a  time 
patched  up,  but  it  was  not  till  July  1730  that 
Anson  received  orders  to  return  to  England.  Dur- 
ing his  stay  in  South  Carolina  he  was  very  popular 
among  the  settlers.  They  gave  his  name  to  districts, 
towns,  and  mines,  which  they  retained  even  after 
the  days  of  American  Independence,  as  old  maps 
show.  One  interesting  letter  from  a  lady  in  the 
colony,  Mrs.  Hutchison,  to  a  sister  in  London,  and 
afterwards  printed,  proves  the  favourable  impression 
made  by  Mr.  Anson   among  the   better    classes  of 


GEORGE  ANSON'S  EARLY  SERVICES.       21 

society.  She  describes  him  as  '  a  very  agreeable 
man,  polite  and  well-bred.  He  has  good  sense  and 
good  nature ;  and  is  free  from  that  ceremoniousness 
which  often  renders  people,  who  may  perhaps  rank 
themselves  among  the  most  accomplished,  extremely 
disagreeable.  He  is  generous  without  profusion, 
elegant  without  ostentation  ;  and,  above  all,  of  a 
most  tender,  humane  disposition.  His  benevolence 
is  extensive,  even  to  his  own  detriment.'  A  good 
deal  more  this  lady  says  in  praise  of  Anson,  adding 
that,  though  fond  of  society,  and  with  a  taste  for 
music,  '  he  is  really  so  old-fashioned  as  to  make 
some  profession  of  religion.' 

Such  was  the  character  given  to  Anson  when  in 
South  Carolina,  about  the  age  of  thirty-two.  When 
the  '  Guarland,'  or  '  Garland,'  was  ordered  to  be  paid 
off,  he  received  a  commission,  in  February  173  1,  to 
command  the  '  Squirrel '  on  the  home  station,  and  in 
the  same  ship  (after  a  short  time  in  the  '  Diamond  ' 
40-gun  ship)  he  was  sent  back  to  the  American  coast, 
reports  having  come  that  the  settlers  in  various 
places  had  fear  of  being  attacked  by  the  Spaniards. 
In  1735  he  returned  to  Spithead,  and  paid  off  the 
4  Squirrel  ; '  which  being  done,  for  the  first  time 
during  the  nineteen  years  since  he  received  his 
earliest  commission,  he  was  allowed  to  remain  be- 
tween two  and  three  years  on  shore. 

The  peace  still  nominally  existing  with  Spain 
was   felt   to   be   little  better   than   an  armed   truce. 


22  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

News  came  continually  of  attacks  made  on  British 
merchant  ships,  under  pretext  of  searching  for  con- 
traband goods  ;  and  these  reports  were  so  frequent, 
and  the  testimony  as  to  the  cruelties  perpetrated  on 
Englishmen  when  they  fell  into  the  hands  of  Spaniards 
in  distant  parts  of  the  world  raised  such  indigna- 
tion in  the  public  mind,  that  the  Government,  after  a 
committee  of  enquiry,  had  to  declare  war  in  due 
form  against  Spain. 

The  declaration  of  war  was  received  by  all  ranks 
with  great  joy  and  enthusiasm.  Shortly  before  this, 
and  probably  in  view  of  the  speedy  commencement 
of  hostilities,  Captain  Anson,  whose  qualities  were 
favourably  known  at  the  Admiralty,  was  appointed 
t:>  the  command  of  the  '  Centurion,'  a  well-built  and 
well-appointed  ship  of  sixty  guns,  with  which  he  first 
was  sent  to  the  coast  of  Africa,  to  protect  the  stations 
there  from  French  attacks.  From  thence  he  had 
instructions  to  proceed  to  Barbadoes,  where  he  might 
expect  to  receive  further  orders.  These  orders  were 
to  recall  him  home  immediately.  He  was  wanted  to 
carry  out  a  plan  for  attacking  the  distant  colonies 
of  Spain,  against  which  country  the  declaration  of 
war  had  just  been  made. 


CHAPTER    III. 

EQUIPMENT  OF  COMMODORE  ANSON'S 
SQUADRON 

FN  the  latter  part  of  the  summer  of  1739  it  was 
-■-  seen  that  a  war  with  Spain  was  inevitable.  It 
was  thought  by  some  members  of  the  Government 
that,  on  the  breaking  out  of  that  war,  the  best  plan 
for  England  to  adopt  was  to  attack  the  Spaniards 
in  their  distant  settlements  beyond  the  seas.  It  was 
supposed  that  thereby  the  chief  resources  of  the 
enemy  would  be  cut  off",  the  revenue  of  Spain  being 
largely  obtained  from  its  colonies  ;  so  that  by  de- 
priving the  crown  of  that  treasure  the  Spaniards 
would  be  reduced  to  the  necessity  of  sincerely  desir- 
ing peace. 

The  matter  being  brought  before  the  Council  of 
State,  it  was  resolved  that  the  command  of  such 
an  expedition  should  be  entrusted  to  George  Anson, 
the  captain  of  the  '  Centurion,'  in  whom  great  con- 
fidence was  put  for  skill,  daring,  and  prudence.  He 
being  at  that  time  absent  on  a  cruise,  a  vessel  was 
despatched  to  his  station  in  North  America,  as  early 


24  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

as  the  beginning  of  September,  to  order  him  to 
return  with  his  ship  to  Portsmouth.  He  got  there 
on  the  8  th  of  November,  and  soon  after  he  received 
al  etter  from  Sir  Charles  Wager,  directing  him  to 
repair  to  London,  to  attend  the  Board  of  Admiralty. 
On  going  to  the  Admiralty  he  was  told  by  Sir 
Charles  Wager  that  two  squadrons  would  be  im- 
mediately fitted  out,  for  two  secret  expeditions, 
which  however  would  have  some  connexion  with 
each  other  ;  that  he  was  intended  to  command  one 
of  the  expeditions  and  Mr.  Cornwall  the  other. 
Mr.  Anson  was  further  told  that  his  squadron  was 
to  take  on  board  three  independent  companies  of  a 
hundred  men  each,  and  '  Bland's  regiment  of  foot,' 
and  that  Colonel  Bland  would  himself  embark  with 
his  regiment,  and  have  the  command  of  the  '  land- 
forces.'  As  soon  as  this  squadron  could  be  fitted 
for  the  sea  they  were  to  set  sail,  with  express  orders 
to  touch  at  no  place  till  they  came  to  Java  Head  in 
the  East  Indies  ;  that  they  were  to  stop  there  only 
to  take  in  water,  and  thence  to  proceed  directly  to 
the  city  of  Manilla,  situated  on  Luconia,  one  of  the 
Philippine  Islands  ;  that  the  other  squadron,  under 
Mr.  Cornwall,  of  equal  strength,  was  intended  to  pass 
round  Cape  Horn  into  the  South  Seas  ;  and  after 
cruising  upon  the  enemy  in  those  parts,  and  attempt- 
ing their  settlements,  the  squadron  on  its  return  was 
to  rendezvous  at  Manilla,  there  to  join  Anson,  where 
they    were   to   refresh   their   men,  refit    their   ships, 


EQUIPMENT  OF  ANSON'S  SQUADRON     25 

and  perhaps    receive   orders   for   other   considerable 
enterprises. 

This  scheme  seemed  to  be  extremely  well  projected, 
and  could  not  but  greatly  advance  the  public  service 
and  the  reputation  and  fortune  of  those  concerned 
in    its  execution.     For  if  Mr.  Anson  proceeded  to 
Manilla  at  the  time  and  in  the  manner  proposed  by 
Sir  Charles  Wager,  he  would  in  all  probability  have 
arrived  there  before  any  advice  could  be  received  of 
the  outbreak  of  war,  and  consequently  before  they 
were  prepared    for  the   reception   of  an   enemy,  or 
had    any   apprehension   of  their  danger.     The  city 
of   Manilla,    and     indeed    all    the    distant    Spanish 
settlements,    might   well    be    supposed    to    be   in  a 
defenceless   condition   just    at  the  outbreak   of    the 
war ;    their    fortifications    neglected,    and    in    many 
places    decayed  ;     their    cannon    dismounted,    their 
magazines,  whether  of  military  stores  or  provisions, 
all  empty  ;   in  fact,  everything  unprepared  for  hostile 
attack.     This  was  well  known   to  be  the  state  of 
affairs,  from  intercepted  letters  from  their  viceroys 
and  governors,  which  proved  the  defenceless  state  of 
Panama  and  the  other  places  belonging  to  Spain  on 
the  coast  of  the  South  Sea,  for  near  a  twelvemonth 
after   our    declaration   of   war.     And   it    cannot   be 
supposed    that    the    city   of    Manilla,   removed    still 
further  by  almost  half  the  circumference  of  the  globe, 
should  have  received  from  the  Spanish  government 
a    greater    share    of   attention    and   concern   for   its 


26  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

security  than  Panama,  and  the  other  important 
ports  in  Peru  and  Chili,  on  which  their  possession 
of  that  immense  empire  depends.  Indeed,  it  was 
well  known  that  Manilla  was  at  that  time  incapable 
of  making  any  considerable  defence,  and  would  in 
all  probability  have  surrendered  upon  the  appearance 
of  an  English  fleet  before  it.  The  importance  of 
this  city  may  be  in  some  measure  estimated  from 
the  number  and  wealth  of  its  inhabitants,  and  the 
rich  and  extensive  commerce  which  it  carries  on  to 
the  principal  ports  in  the  East  Indies  and  China, 
and  its  exclusive  trade  to  Acapulco  in  Mexico,  the 
returns  for  which,  being  made  in  silver,  are,  upon 
the  lowest  valuation,  not  less  than  three  millions  of 
dollars  per  annum. 

Sir  Charles  Wager  was  so  intent  on  carrying  out 
this  scheme,  that  within  a  very  few  days  after  his 
conference  with  Mr.  Anson  orders  were  given  to  the 
Commodore  to  take  under  his  command,  besides  his 
own  ship  the  '  Centurion,'  the  '  Argyle,'  '  Severn,' 
'  Pearl,'  '  Wager,'  and  '  Tryal '  sloop  ;  and  shortly 
afterwards  orders  were  issued  relating  to  the  victual- 
ling of  this  squadron. 

Everything  promised  well,  and  Mr.  Anson  busied 
himself  in  making  his  own  preparations  for  departing. 
In  the  beginning  of  January  1740,  on  going  to  the 
Admiralty,  to  his  amazement  he  was  informed  by 
Sir  Charles  Wager  that,  for  reasons  with  which  Sir 
Charles  was  not  acquainted,  the  expedition  to  Manilla 


JSQUIPMEN2   OF  ANSON'S  SQUADRON.     27 

was  laid  aside.     It  may  well  be  conceived  that  the 
Commodore  was   not  only  surprised   but  chagrined 
on  hearing  of  his  losing  a  command  so  honourable, 
and  abandoning  an  enterprise  so  desirable  in  every 
way,   especially   as    he   had    now,  at   a    very   great 
expense,  made  the  necessary  provision  for  his  own 
accommodation  in  this  voyage,  which  he  had  reason 
to  expect  would  prove  a  very  long  one.      However, 
Sir  Charles,  to  render  his  disappointment  in  some 
degree  more  tolerable,  informed  the  Commodore  that 
the  other  expedition,  that  to  the  South  Seas,  was 
still  to  be  undertaken,  and  that  he  and  his  squadron, 
their  first  destination   being  countermanded,  should 
be  employed  in  that  service.     Accordingly,  on  the 
10th   of  January,   Anson    received  his   commission, 
appointing  him    Commander-in-Chief  of  the    afore- 
mentioned squadron,  only  that  the  '  Gloucester '  was 
included   instead   of  the  '  Argyle.'     The   change  of 
destination    made    no    abatement   in   the   vigour   of 
preparation,    so    far  as    the   Commodore   was    con- 
cerned,  and   he   believed   that    the  victualling    and 
other  affairs  were  so  far   advanced,  that  he  might 
hope  for  speedily  commencing  his  voyage. 

It  was  not,  however,  till  the  28th  of  June  that 
the  Duke  of  Newcastle,  Principal  Secretary  of  State, 
delivered  to  him  his  Majesty's  instructions  dated 
January  31st,  with  additional  instructions  from  the 
Lords  Justices,  dated  June  29th,  1740.  On  receipt 
of  these  he  repaired  immediately  to  Spithead,  with 


28  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

a  resolution  to  sail  with  the  first  fair  wind,  flattering 
himself  that  all  his  difficulties  were  now  at  an  end. 

Alas !  he  little  knew  the  vexatious  delays  and 
disappointments  yet  before  him.  He  knew  that 
about  three  hundred  seamen  were  wanted  for  com- 
pleting the  manning  of  his  squadron,  but  he  expected 
no  difficulty  on  this  point,  as  Sir  Charles  Wager 
had  told  him  that  the  Board  of  Admiralty  had 
despatched  an  order  to  Sir  John  Norris,  in  command 
of  the  fleet  at  Portsmouth,  to  spare  the  numbers 
that  were  required. 

On  seeing  Sir  John  Norris,  however,  the  Admiral 
told  him  he  could  spare  none  of  his  men,  for  his 
own  fleet  was  deficient  in  its  musters.  Soon  after- 
wards Admiral  Norris  left,  and  was  succeeded  in 
the  command  at  Spithead  by  Admiral  Balchen.  To 
him  Commodore  Anson  made  his  requisition,  and 
not  till  the  end  of  July  was  anything  done,  and  that 
in  a  degree  miserably  short  of  his  expectation  or 
requirements.  Instead  of  three  hundred  able  seamen, 
the  Admiral  ordered  on  board  Mr.  Anson's  squadron 
one  hundred  and  seventy  men  only,  of  whom  thirty- 
two  were  from  the  hospital  and  sick  quarter,  thirty- 
seven  from  Salisbury  (most  probably  pressed  men  or 
gaol-birds),  with  three  officers  from  Colonel  Lowther's 
regiment,  and  ninety-eight  marines  ;  and  these  were 
all  that  the  Commodore  could  get  towards  making  up 
his  deficiency  of  three  hundred  able  seamen. 

But  the  disappointment  and  mortification  did  not 


EQUIPMENT  OF  ANSON'S  SQUADRON.     29 

end  here.  It  was  promised  that  Colonel  Bland's 
regiment,  and  also  three  independent  companies 
of  a  hundred  men  each,  should  embark  as  land 
forces  on  board  the  fleet.  This  was  now  changed, 
and  all  the  land  forces  that  were  to  be  allowed  were 
five  hundred  invalids  to  be  collected  from  the  out- 
pensioners  of  Chelsea  College.  As  these  out-pen- 
sioners consisted  of  soldiers,  who  from  age,  wounds, 
or  other  ailments  and  infirmities,  were  incapable  of 
service  in  marching  regiments,  Anson  was  much 
chagrined  at  having  such  a  decrepit  detachment 
allotted  to  him  ;  being  fully  persuaded  that  the 
greatest  part  of  these  invalids  would  perish  long 
before  they  arrived  at  the  scene  of  action,  since 
the  delays  already  encountered  necessarily  confined 
his  passage  round  Cape  Horn  to  the  most  rigorous 
season  of  the  year.  On  appealing  to  Sir  Charles 
Wager,  that  friendly  adviser  joined  in  representing 
to  the  authorities  that  '  invalids '  were  not  proper 
for  their  service,  and  urged  strongly  that  a  change 
might  yet  be  made  in  the  instructions.  But  Sir 
Charles  got  the  insolent  reply,  that  '  persons  who 
were  supposed  to  be  better  judges  of  soldiers  than 
he  or  Mr.  Anson  thought  that  the  Chelsea  out- 
pensioners  were  the  properest  men  to  be  employed 
on  this  occasion.' 

Upon  this  determination  they  were  ordered  on 
board  on  the  5th  of  August,  but  on  that  day,  instead 
of  five  hundred,  there  came  on  board  no  more  than 


30  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

two  hundred  and  fifty-nine  ;  for  all  those  who  had 
limbs  and  strength  to  walk  out  of  Portsmouth  deserted, 
leaving  only  such  as  were  literally  invalids,  most  of 
them  sixty  and  some  of  them  upwards  of  seventy  years 
old.  A  more  moving  spectacle  than  the  embarking 
of  these  unhappy  veterans  it  would  be  difficult  to 
conceive.  They  were  themselves  extremely  averse 
to  the  service  they  were  engaged  in,  and  fully  aware 
of  the  dangers  and  disasters  they  would  be  exposed  to, 
the  apprehensions  of  which  were  visibly  marked  in 
their  countenances,  mingled  with  no  small  degree  of 
indignation  at  their  being  thus  hurried  and  forced 
into  a  fatiguing  employment,  to  which  neither  the 
strength  of  their  bodies  nor  the  vigour  of  their  minds 
were  any  way  proportioned  ;  and  where  the  prospect 
was,  without  seeing  the  face  of  an  enemy,  or  pro- 
moting the  success  of  the  enterprise,  of  probably 
perishing  by  lingering  or  painful  diseases  ;  and  this, 
too,  after  they  had  spent  the  strength  and  activity 
of  their  life  in  their  country's  service. 

It  was  altogether  a  cruel  and  ill-managed  business 
this  employment  of  old  Chelsea  pensioners,  and 
above  all  that  out  of  the  whole  who  amounted  to 
nearly  two  thousand  men  in  those  times,  only  the 
most  feeble  and  useless  should  be  called  out  for  so 
laborious  and  perilous  an  undertaking.  Invalids  and 
pensioners  were  not  the  right  class  to  go  to  for  the 
purpose,  yet  out  of  the  two  thousand  of  these  there 
might  have  been  found  five  hundred  men  with  some 


EQUIPMENT  OF  ANSON'S  SQUADRON.    31 


remains  of  vigour  left  ;  and  Mr.  Anson  might  well 
expect  the  best  available  to  be  chosen  ;  whereas  the 
whole  detachment  sent  to  him  seemed  to  be  made 
up  of  the  most  decrepit  and  miserable  objects  out 
of  the  whole  number  of  pensioners  ;  and  when  out 
of  these  the  desertions  cleared  away  the  little  of 
health  and  strength  to  be  found  among  them,  those 
left  to  embark  were  fitter  for  an  infirmary  than  for 
any  military  duty. 

Another  piece  of  vile  mismanagement  in  the  equip- 
ment of  the  squadron  must  be  mentioned.  It  was 
proposed  to  Mr.  Anson  that  he  should  take  with  him 
two  persons,  under  the  name  of  Agent- Victuallers. 
These  two,  recommended  to  Mr.  Anson,  had  formerly 
been  in  the  Spanish  West  Indies,  and  the  South  Sea 
Company's  service,  and  it  was  supposed  that  by  their 
experience  and  their  knowledge  on  that  coast,  they 
might  procure  provisions  and  stores  from  the  in- 
habitants when  they  could  not  be  had  by  force  of 
arms.  They  were  to  be  allowed  to  carry  merchan- 
dise to  the  value  of  £15,000,  as  they  represented 
that  it  would  be  easier  to  procure  provisions  with 
goods  than  with  the  value  of  the  same  goods 
in  money.  Mr.  Anson  had  a  shrewd  suspicion 
that  the  whole  scheme  was  for  the  enriching  of  the 
agents  and  their  backers,  and  he  objected  both 
to  their  appointment  and  to  their  being  allowed  to 
carry  a  cargo  on  board  the  squadron.  He  conceived 
that    in    those    friendly    ports  where   the    squadron 


32  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

might  touch  he  needed  not  their  assistance  to  con- 
tract for  any  provisions  the  place  afforded  ;  and  on 
the  enemy's  coast  he  did  not  imagine  that  they 
could  ever  procure  for  him  the  necessaries  he  should 
want,  unless  (which  he  was  resolved  not  to  comply 
with)  the  military  operations  of  his  squadron  were  to 
be  regulated  by  the  ridiculous  views  of  their  trading 
projects.  All  he  thought  the  Government  ought  to 
have  done  on  this  occasion  was  to  put  on  board 
£2,000  or  £3,000  worth  of  such  goods  as  the 
Indians  or  the  Spanish  planters  on  the  less  cul- 
tivated part  of  the  coast  might  be  tempted  with, 
since  it  was  in  such  places  only  it  would  be  worth 
while  to  truck  with  the  enemy  for  provisions  ;  and  in 
these  places  it  was  evident  that  a  very  small  cargo 
would  suffice. 

The  agents  were  cunning  enough  to  meet  the 
Commodore's  objections  by  representing  to  the  au- 
thorities that  their  object  was  not  merely  the  sup- 
plying of  the  squadron,  but  that  they  would  have 
opportunities  of  trade  in  new  places,  which  might  be 
continued  and  increased  to  the  benefit  of  the  nation. 
So  they  gained  their  object  so  far  that  the  Govern- 
ment agreed  to  advance  them  £10,000  upon  imprest, 
and  the  remaining  £5,000  they  raised  on  bottomry 
bonds  ;  and  the  goods  purchased  with  this  sum  were 
all  that  were  taken  to  sea  by  the  squadron,  how 
much,  however,  the  amount  of  these  might  after- 
wards be  magnified  by  common  report. 


EQUIPMENT  OF  ANSON'S  SQUADRON.      33 

The  cargo  was  at  first  shipped  on  board  the 
'  Wager'  store-ship,  and  one  of  the  victualling  ships, 
no  part  being  admitted  on  board  the  men-of-war. 
But  the  Commodore,  before  sailing,  considered  that 
in  case  the  squadron  should  be  separated,  it  might 
be  pretended  that  some  of  the  ships  were  dis- 
appointed of  provisions  for  want  of  a  cargo  to  truck 
with,  and  therefore  he  distributed  some  of  the  least 
bulky  commodities  on  board  the  men-of-war,  leaving 
the  remainder  principally  on  board  the  '  Wager,' 
where  it  was  lost  when  that  ship  was  wrecked. 
More  of  the  goods  perished  by  various  accidents 
throughout  the  voyage,  and  no  part  was  ever 
disposed  of  upon  the  coast,  so  that  the  few  that 
came  back  to  England,  at  the  close  of  the  expedition, 
did  not  produce,  when  sold,  above  a  fourth  part  of 
the  original  price  ;  so  true  was  the  Commodore's 
judgment  on  the  event  of  this  project,  which  some 
had  represented  as  sure  to  be  productive  of  much 
benefit  and  great  gains.  But  to  return  to  the 
transactions  at  Portsmouth. 

To  supply  the  place  of  the  two  hundred  and 
forty  invalids  who  deserted,  as  before  mentioned, 
there  were  ordered  on  board  two  hundred  and  ten 
marines  detached  from  different  companies.  These 
were  raw  and  undisciplined  men,  and  had  scarcely 
anything  more  of  the  soldier  than  their  uniform, 
none  having  been  so  far  trained  as  ever  to  have 
fired    a    musket.       The    last    detachment    of    these 

3 


34  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

marines  came  on  board  on  the  8th  of  August,  and 
on  the  ioth  the  squadron  sailed  from  Spithead  to 
St.  Helen's,  there  to  wait  for  a  wind  to  carry  them 
down  the  Channel. 

But  the  time  of  delay  was  not  yet  spent  and 
ended.  They  had  got  to  that  season  of  the  year 
when  westerly  winds  arc  very  constant  and  very 
violent ;  and  it  was  also  thought  proper  that  they 
should  put  to  sea  in  company  with  the  fleet  com- 
manded by  Admiral  Balchen,  and  the  expedition  then 
sailing  under  Lord  Cathcart.  As  they  made  up  in  all 
twenty  one  men-of-war  and  a  hundred  and  twenty- 
four  sail  of  merchantmen  and  transports,  they  had 
little  hope  of  getting  out  of  the  Channel,  without  the 
continuance  of  a  fair  wind,  for  some  considerable 
time.  There  was  the  less  reason  to  expect  this  as 
each  day  passed,  for  the  time  of  the  equinox,  with  its 
gales,  drew  near  ;  so  that  the  golden  dreams  of 
possessing  the  treasures  of  Peru  grew  each  day  more 
faint,  and  the  difficulties  and  dangers  of  the  passage 
round  Cape  Horn  in  the  winter  season  filled  the 
imagination   in  their  room. 

It  was  forty  days  from  the  arrival  at  St.  Helen's 
to  the  final  departure  from  thence  ;  and  even  then 
they  had  to  tide  down  the  Channel  with  a  contrary 
wind.  But  this  interval  of  forty  days  was  not  free 
from  the  unpleasant  toil  of  often  setting  sail,  and 
being  as  often  obliged  to  return,  nor  exempt  from 
dangers  as  great  as  have  been  sometimes  undergone 


EQUIPMENT  OF  ANSON'S  SQUADRON.      35 


going  round  the  globe.  For  the  wind  coming  fair 
for  the  first  time  on  the  23  rd  of  August,  they  got 
under  sail,  and  Admiral  Balchen  showed  himself 
truly  solicitous  to  have  proceeded  to  sea,  but  the  wind 
soon  returning  to  its  old  quarter  obliged  them  to 
put  back  to  St.  Helen's,  not  without  considerable 
hazard,  and  some  damage  received  by  two  of  the 
transports,  which,  in  tacking,  ran  foul  of  each  other. 
Besides  this,  several  attempts  were  made  to  sail, 
without  better  success.  On  the  6th  of  September, 
on  returning  to  St.  Helen's  after  one  of  these  fruitless 
efforts,  the  wind  blew  so  fresh  that  the  whole  fleet 
struck  their  yards  and  topmasts  to  prevent  driving. 
Yet,  notwithstanding  this  precaution,  the  '  Centurion  ' 
drove  the  next  evening,  and  brought  both  cables 
ahead,  and  was  in  no  small  danger  of  driving  foul 
of  the  '  Prince  Frederick,'  a  70-gun  ship,  moored 
at  a  small  distance  astern  ;  though  happily  the 
1  Centurion  '  escaped  by  the  '  Prince  Frederick  '  driv- 
ing at  the  same  time,  and  so  preserving  her  distance. 
The  Commodore  did  not  think  himself  secure  till  at 
last  they  let  go  the  sheet  anchor,  which  fortunately 
brought  them  up. 

However,  on  the  9th  of  September,  Anson  was 
in  some  degree  relieved  from  his  vexatious  inaction 
and  delay  by  an  order  received  from  the  Lords 
Justices  at  London  to  put  to  sea  at  the  first 
opportunity  with  his  own  squadron  only  if  Lord 
Cathcart    should  not    be   ready.       Freed    from   the 


36  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

company  of  so  large  a  fleet,  the  Commodore  resolved 
to  weigh,  and  to  tide  it  down  the  Channel  as  soon  as 
the  weather  became  sufficiently  moderated  ;  and  this 
easily  could  have  been  done  two  months  sooner,  if 
the  order  of  the  Admiralty  for  supplying  them  with 
seamen  had  been  attended  to,  and  had  they  not  met 
with  the  other  delays  that  have  been  mentioned. 

At  the  very  last  moment  the  hope  of  a  speedy 
departure  was  once  more  damped  by  the  receipt 
of  a  subsequent  order,  dated  12th  of  September,  by 
which  Anson  was  ordered  to  take  under  his  convoy 
the  '  St.  Albans,'  with  the  Turkey  fleet,  and  to  join 
the  '  Dragon '  and  the  '  Winchester,'  with  the  Straits 
and  the  American  trade  at  Torbay  and  Plymouth, 
and  to  proceed  to  sea  as  far  as  their  way  and  his  lay 
together.  This  incumbrance  of  a  convoy  gave  the 
Commodore  some  uneasiness,  as  he  feared  it  might 
be  the  means  of  lengthening  the  passage  to  the 
Madeira  Islands.  However,  having  now  the  com- 
mand to  himself,  he  resolved  to  adhere  to  his  former 
determination  to  tide  it  down  the  Channel  with  the 
first  moderate  weather  ;  and  that  the  junction  with 
the  convoy  might  occasion  as  little  loss  of  time  as 
possible,  he  sent  directions  to  Torbay  that  the  fleets 
he  was  to  take  charge  of  might  be  in  readiness  to 
join  him  instantly  on  his  approach.  And  at  last,  on 
the  1 8th  of  September,  he  weighed  from  St.  Helen's  ; 
and  though  the  wind  was  at  first  contrary,  he  had  the 
good  fortune  to  get  clear  of  the  Channel  in  four  days. 


EQUIPMENT  OF  ANSON'S  SQUADRON      37 

If  there  has  been  much  to  say  about  the  difficulties 
encountered  by  Commodore  Anson  in  the  equipment 
of  his  squadron  and  the  setting  out  on  his  expedi- 
tion, we  shall  be  ready  to  give  to  him  the  greater 
honour  for  the  successful  issue  of  a  voyage  begun 
under  such  untoward  conditions.  Instead  of  the 
ships  being  fully  manned  with  able  seamen,  a  de- 
ficiency of  three  hundred  had  to  be  made  up  by  a 
hundred  and  seventy  men,  mostly  composed  of  in- 
valids discharged  from  hospitals  and  marines  who 
had  never  been  at  sea  before.  And  as  to  the  land 
forces,  instead  of  the  promised  three  companies  of 
a  hundred  soldiers  each,  and  Bland's  regiment  of 
foot,  there  were  sent  on  board  less  than  five  hundred 
invalids  and  marines,  many  of  them  useless  from 
age  and  from  infirmity,  and  others  from  ignorance 
of  their  duty.  Worse  than  the  deficient  strength  of 
the  expedition  for  so  great  a  service,  was  the  vex- 
atious delay  in  starting,  whereby  the  Commodore 
was  compelled  to  make  his  passage  round  Cape 
Horn  in  the  most  tempestuous  season  of  the  year, 
and  so  court  disaster  to  some  of  his  ships.  By  this 
delay,  too,  the  Spaniards  had  time  to  learn  all  about 
the  intended  expedition,  and  not  only  to  send  out 
orders  to  prepare  places  for  attack,  but  they  actually 
fitted  out  a  powerful  fleet,  which  started  before 
Anson  sailed,  and  was  ready  to  watch  and  oppose 
his  movements. 


CHAPTER     IV. 

THE  PASSAGE  FROM  ST.  HELEN'S  TO   THE 
ISLAND   OF  MADEIRA. 

(~\N  the  1 8th  September,  1740,  Commodore 
^-"'  Anson's  squadron  weighed  from  St.  Helen's. 
The  squadron  consisted  of  five  men-of-war  and  two 
victualling  ships.  The  men-of-war  were  the  '  Cen- 
turion,' of  60  guns,  400  men,  George  Anson  Com- 
mander; the  'Gloucester,'  of  50  guns,  300  men, 
Richard  Norris  Commander;  the  'Severn,'  of  50 
guns,  300  men,  the  Hon.  Edward  Legge  Com- 
mander ;  the  '  Pearl,'  of  40  guns,  250  men,  Matthew 
Mitchel  Commander ;  the  '  Wager '  (armed  store- 
ship),  28  guns,  160  men,  Dandy  Kidd  Commander; 
the  '  Tryal  '  sloop,  8  guns,  100  men,  the  Hon.  John 
Murray  Commander ;  the  two  victuallers  were  pinks 
(a  kind  of  ship  so  called,  from  the  French  pinque), 
the  largest  400,  and  the  other  200  tons  burden. 
These  victualling  pinks  were  to  attend  the  squadron 
till  the  provisions  taken  on  board  were  consumed  so 
far  as  to  make  room  for  the  additional  stores  carried 
by  them,  when  they  were  to  be  discharged. 

Besides   the  complement   of  men   borne    by   the 


FROM  ST.  HELEN'S  TO  MADEIRA.  39 

ships,  as  enumerated  above,  there  were  embarked  on 
board  the  squadron  about  four  hundred  and  seventy 
invalids  and  marines,  under  the  denomination  of 
Land  Forces,  commanded  by  Lieutenant-Colonel 
Cracherode. 

With  this  squadron,  together  with  the  '  St.  Albans ' 
and  the  '  Lark,'  and  the  trade  under  their  convoy, 
the  Commodore,  on  weighing  from  St.  Helen's,  tided 
it  down  the  Channel  for  the  first  forty-eight  hours  ; 
and  on  the  20th,  in  the  morning,  discovered,  off  the 
Ram  Head,  the  '  Dragon,'  '  Winchester,'  '  South  Sea 
Castle,'  and  '  Rye,'  with  a  number  of  merchantmen 
under  their  convoy.  These  all  joined  the  Commo- 
dore's squadron,  his  orders  being  to  see  them  as  far 
into  the  sea  as  their  course  agreed.  On  coming  in 
sight  of  this  last-mentioned  fleet,  Mr.  Anson  first 
hoisted  his  broad  pendant,  and  was  saluted  by  all 
the  men-of-war  in  company. 

There  were  now  together  eleven  men-of-war,  and 
about  a  hundred  and  fifty  sail  of  merchantmen, 
consisting  of  the  Turkey,  Straits,  and  the  American 
trade.  Mr.  Anson  the  same  day  made  a  signal  for 
all  the  captains  of  the  men-of-war  to  come  on  board 
the  '  Centurion,'  when  he  delivered  to  them  their 
sailing  and  fighting  instructions.  At  noon  of  the 
2 1  st  September,  with  a  fair  wind,  they  stood  towards 
the  south-west,  and  on  that  day  had  run  forty 
leagues  from  the  Ram  Head,  and  were  well  clear  of 
the  land.     The  Commodore  gave  orders  to  Captain 


4o  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

Mitchel  of  the  '  Pearl '  to  sail  two  leagues  ahead 
of  the  fleet  every  morning,  and  to  repair  to  his 
station  every  evening.  So  they  proceeded  till  the 
25  th,  when  the  '  Winchester '  and  the  American  con- 
voy made  the  concerted  signal  for  'leave  to  separate, 
which,  being  answered  by  the  Commodore,  they  left, 
to  cross  the  Atlantic.  The  '  St.  Albans  '  and  the 
1  Dragon,'  with  the  Turkey  fleet,  did  the  same  on 
the  29th,  after  which,  the  squadron  consisting  only 
of  their  own  ships,  attended  by  the  victuallers,  kept 
on  the  course  for  the  island  of  Madeira.  The  winds, 
however,  were  so  contrary,  that  it  was  not  till 
Monday,  October  the  25th,  that  they  came  to 
anchor  in  the  Bay  of  Funchal  in  Madeira.  From 
St.  Helen's  they  had  been  forty  days  in  the  passage, 
though  it  was  often  done  in  those  times  in  ten  or 
twelve  days.  The  hope  of  making  up  at  sea  for  the 
loss  of  time  at  Spithead  and  St.  Helen's  was  thus 
shattered,  and  there  was  naturally  a  good  deal  of 
depression  and  ill-humour,  of  which  those  only  can 
have  an  adequate  idea  who  have  had  experience  of 
a  like  situation.  The  previous  delays  would  have 
been  forgotten  had  there  been  a  quick  and  pro- 
sperous passage,  but  the  long,  lingering  voyage,  with 
foul  weather  and  contrary  winds,  intensified  the 
peevishness  and  despondency.  However,  it  was  a 
pleasant  change  and  refreshing  rest  on  reaching 
Madeira. 

Here  they  remained  about  a  week,  watering  the 


FROM  ST  HELEN'S  TO  MADEIRA.  41 

ships,  and  providing  the  squadron  with  wine  and 
other  refreshments  ;  for  the  excellence  of  the  wines 
of  the  island  was  already  known  throughout  the 
world.  The  water  was  taken  to  the  ships  in 
Portuguese  boats,  the  violence  of  the  surf  always 
breaking  upon  the  shingle  of  the  Bay  of  Funchal 
preventing  ordinary  boats  from  risking  a  landing. 
On  the  3rd  of  November,  Captain  Norris  of  the 
'  Gloucester '  signified  by  letter  to  the  Commodore 
his  desire  to  quit  the  command,  and  to  return  home, 
on  account  of  broken  health.  The  resignation  was 
accepted,  and  Captain  Mitchel  was  appointed  to  com- 
mand the  •  Gloucester '  in  his  stead,  and  at  the  same 
time  Captain  Kidd  was  removed  from  the  'Wager' 
to  the  '  Pearl,'  and  Captain  Murray  from  the  '  Tryal ' 
to  the  'Wager,'  giving  the  command  of  the  'Tryal'  to 
Lieutenant  Cheap  (who  was  subsequently  captain 
of  the  '  Wager ').  These  promotions  being  settled, 
the  Commodore,  on  the  next  day,  gave  to  the 
captains  their  orders,  and  appointed  St.  Jago,  one 
of  the  Cape  de  Verde  Islands,  the  first  place  of 
rendezvous  in  case  of  separation.  If  they  did  not 
meet  the  '  Centurion  '  there,  they  were  to  make  the 
best  of  their  way  to  the  island  of  St.  Catherine,  on 
the  coast  of  Brazil.  In  the  afternoon  they  weighed 
anchor  and  left  the  island  of  Madeira. 

Before  he  left,  the  Commodore  visited  the  Governor, 
and  from  him  received  the  information  that  for 
several  days  in  the  latter  end  of  October  a  fleet  of 


42  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

seven  or  eight  ships  of  the  line  appeared  to  the 
west,  with  a  light-sailing  patachc,  which  was  sent 
every  day  close  in  to  make  the  land.  The  Governor 
assured  the  Commodore  that  none  upon  the  island 
had  given  any  intelligence,  or  even  communicated 
with  them,  but  that  he  believed  they  were  French 
or  Spanish  ships,  most  probably  Spanish.  Anson 
sent  a  sloop  eight  leagues  to  the  westward,  to 
reconnoitre,  and  discover,  if  possible,  what  they 
were  ;  but  the  officers  returned  without  being  able 
to  get  a  sight  of  them,  so  that  they  remained 
still  in  uncertainty.  It  was  concluded,  however, 
that  this  was  a  Spanish  squadron  sent  out  to 
intercept  Commodore  Anson,  which  might  have 
been  done  had  they  cruised  on  the  east  instead  of 
the  west  of  the  island.  They  also  supposed  that 
the  Spaniards  had  sailed  on  hearing  of  the  de- 
parture of  Anson  from  Spithead  in  company  with 
Admiral  Balchen's  and  Lord  Cathcart's  expedition; 
and  that  fearing  they  would  be  overmatched  by  so 
large  an  English  fleet,  they  waited  till  the  other  ships 
and  their  convoys  had  left,  and  Anson's  squadron 
was  approaching  Madeira.  At  a  later  period  they 
were  certain  that  this  was  the  Spanish  fleet  under 
Don  Joseph  Pizarro,  fitted  out  and  sent  on  purpose 
to  thwart  the  views  and  enterprises  of  Anson's 
expedition.  They  failed  to  do  so,  and  themselves 
underwent  terrible  catastrophes,  so  that  of  the  whole 
squadron    only    one    ship,    the    '  Asia,'   returned    to 


FROM  ST.  HELEN'S  TO  MADEIRA.  43 

Europe.  The  adventures  and  the  disasters  of  this 
Spanish  squadron  were  of  so  striking  a  character 
that  the  story  is  worth  here  briefly  telling.  They 
never  actually  came  into^  collision  with  Anson's 
squadron,  though  sometimes  very  near  doing  so. 
The  story  is  in  itself  interesting,  and  so  far  bearing 
upon  Anson's  affairs,  that  the  losses  sustained  by 
Pizarro's  expedition  greatly  weakened  the  power  of 
the  Spaniards,  and  prevented  them  putting  forth  all 
their  strength  in  the  war  with  England. 


CHAPTER    V. 

THE  STORY  OF  DON  JOSEPH  PIZARRO'S  FLEET. 

r  I  AHE  squadron  fitted  out  by  the  Spanish  Court  to 
■*■  watch  that  of  Anson  was  under  the  command 
of  Don  Joseph  Pizarro.  It  was  composed  of  the 
following  men-of-war  : — 

The  '  Asia,'  66  guns,  700  men  ;  the  '  Guipuscoa,' 
74  guns,  700  men  ;  the  '  Hermione,'  54  guns, 
500  men;  the  '  Esperanza,'  50  guns,  450  men; 
the  '  Estevas,'  40  guns,  350  men;  and  a  patache 
of  20  guns. 

The  •  Asia '  was  the  Admiral's  ship.  Besides  their 
complement  of  sailors  and  marines,  the  ship  had  on 
board  a  veteran  Spanish  regiment  of  foot,  intended 
to  reinforce  the  garrisons  on  the  coast  of  the  South 
Seas. 

On  leaving  Madeira,  this  fleet  steered  for  the 
River  La  Plata,  where  they  arrived  on  January  5th 
(O.S.),  1 74 1.  Anchoring  in  the  Bay  of  Maldonado  at 
the  mouth  of  that  river,  the  Admiral  sent  to  Buenos 
Ayres  for  a  supply  of  provisions,  his  fleet  being 
victualled    for    only    four    months.       Through    the 


STORY  OF  DON  JOSEPH  PIZARRO' S  FLEET.    45 

treachery  of  the  Portuguese  Governor  of  St.  Cathe- 
rine's, Pizarro  received  intelligence  of  Anson  having 
arrived  at  that  island  on  the  21st  December 
preceding,  and  of  his  preparing  to  set  again  to  sea 
with  the  utmost  expedition.  Pizarro,  either  from 
instructions,  or  for  personal  reasons,  sought  to  avoid 
the  English  squadron  till  they  could  meet  in  the 
South  Seas.  He  was  anxious  to  get  round  Cape 
Horn  before  the  English.  Notwithstanding  his  haste 
to  effect  this,  not  waiting  for  what  he  had  been  sent 
to  Buenos  Ayres  for,  Anson  put  to  sea  from  St. 
Catherine's  four  days  before  him  ;  but  so  close  did 
the  fleets  get  before  getting  round  the  Cape,  that 
one  of  Anson's  ships,  the  '  Pearl,'  being  separated 
from  the  others,  got  within  gun-shot  of  the  '  Asia,' 
which  was  mistaken  for  the  '  Centurion,'  and  had  a 
narrow  escape  of  being  taken.  In  fact,  the  Spanish 
Admiral  had  got  knowledge  of  the  form  and  make 
of  the  English  Commodore's  broad  pendant,  and  in 
that  way  decoyed  the  '  Pearl '  to  come  nearer  ;  and  it 
was  only  by  the  firing  from  the  '  Asia '  that  the 
captain  of  the  Pearl  was  undeceived. 

Pizarro,  with  his  squadron,  having  toward  the  end 
of  February  run  the  distance  of  Cape  Horn,  then  stood 
to  the  westward  in  order  to  double  it ;  but  in  the 
night  of  the  last  day  of  the  month  three  of  the 
ships  were  separated  from  the  Admiral,  and  a  day 
or  two  after  a  furious  storm  came  on  at  north-west, 
which  drove  the  whole  squadron  to  the  eastward,  and 


46  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

the  Admiral  was  compelled  to  bear  away  for  the 
River  La  Plata,  where  he  arrived  in  the  '  Asia '  about 
the  middle  of  May.  Shortly  after  the  '  Esperanza ' 
and  the  '  Estevas  '  joined  him.  The  '  Hermione ' 
was  never  again  seen,  and  is  supposed  to  have 
foundered  at  sea.  The  '  Guipuscoa  '  was  run  ashore 
and  sunk  on  the  coast  of  Brazil. 

In  addition  to  the  calamities  from  wreck,  sick- 
ness, and  other  causes  common  to  both  the  English 
and  Spanish  squadrons,  the  Spaniards  suffered  the 
utmost  extremities  of  famine.  Starting  at  first  with 
every  provision  for  four  months,  and  hastening  from 
St.  Catherine's  without  waiting  for  supplies  from 
Buenos  Ayres,  as  already  mentioned,  when  the  voyage 
was  afterwards  prolonged  beyond  expectation,  the 
crews  were  reduced  to  the  utmost  distress  by  scarcity 
of  food.  Rats  when  caught  were  sold  for  four 
dollars  apiece  ;  and  a  sailor  who  died  on  board  had 
his  death  concealed  for  some  days  by  his  brother, 
who,  during  that  time,  lay  in  the  same  hammock 
with  the  corpse,  only  to  receive  the  dead's  allow- 
ance of  food.  Through  all  this  distress,  the  three 
ships  which  escaped  the  storm  lost  the  greatest  part 
of  their  men.  The  '  Asia,'  the  Admiral's  ship, 
arrived  at  Monte  Video,  in  the  River  Plate,  with  only 
half  her  crew  ;  the  '  Estevas  '  lost  as  many .;  and  the 
'  Esperanza '  was  still  more  unfortunate,  for  out  of 
four  hundred  and  fifty  hands  which  she  brought  out 
of  Spain   only   fifty-eight  remained    alive,  and  the 


STORY  OF  DON  JOSEPH  PIZARRO' S  FLEET.    47 

whole  regiment  of  foot  perished  except  sixty  men. 
Many  of  the  details  of  the  disasters  of  the  squadron 
became  known  afterwards  to  Commodore  Anson 
through  a  letter  from  the  Captain  of  the  ■  Gui- 
puscoa '  to  a  person  of  distinction  at  Lima,  a  copy 
of  which  fell  into  his  hands  somewhere  during  the 
cruise  in  the  South  Seas. 

From  Buenos  Ayres  the  Spanish  Admiral  sent 
letters  by  an  Indian  across  the  Cordilleras  to  St. 
Jago  in  Chili,  to  forward  report  of  his  condition 
to  the  Governor  of  Peru,  and  solicit  the  remittance 
of  200,000  dollars  to  victual  and  refit  the  remain- 
ing three  ships  of  the  squadron.  The  governor  sent 
half  of  the  sum  asked,  and  said  he  had  difficulty  in 
raising  that  amount.  Advice  boats  were  also  sent 
to  Rio  Janeiro,  which  brought  back  a  considerable 
quantity  of  pitch,  tar,  and  cordage,  but  the  Admiral 
was  unable  to  get  masts  from  Paraguay,  the  car- 
penter entrusted  with  money  to  get  masts  cut  not 
executing  the  commission  entrusted  to  him,  but 
marrying  in  the  country  and  refusing  to  return.  By 
removing  the  masts  of  the  •  Esperanza '  into  the 
'Asia/  and  making  the  best  shift  possible  with  spare 
masts  and  yards,  the  '  Asia '  and  the  '  Estevas '  were 
to  some  extent  refitted. 

In  the  October  following  Pizarro  was  preparing 
to  put  to  sea  with  these  two  ships,  and  make  a  second 
attempt  to  round  Cape  Horn,  when  the  '  Estevas ' 
ran  aground  in  coming  down  the  River  Plate,  and  had 


48  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 


to  be  abandoned  and  broken  up,  the  Admira  pro- 
ceeding to  sea  with  the  '  Asia  '  only ;  but  again 
meeting  with  stormy  weather,  he  was  forced  to 
return  to  the  River  Plate  in  great  distress. 

The  '  Asia '  having  suffered  much  damage,  the 
'  Esperanza,'  which  had  been  left  behind  at  Monte 
Video,  was  ordered  to  be  refitted,  the  command  being 
given  to  Mindinuetta,  captain  of  the  '  Guipuscoa  ' 
when  she  was  lost.  In  November  1742  Mindinu- 
etta sailed,  and  managed  to  get  round  safe  to 
the  coast  of  Chili,  where  Pizarro,  passing  overland 
from  Buenos  Ayres,  met  him.  On  claiming  to 
resume  the  supreme  command  Pizarro  was  resisted 
by  Mindinuetta,  who  said  as  he  had  brought  the 
1  Esperanza '  round,  and  as  he  had  arrived  in  the 
South  Seas  under  no  superior,  he  was  entitled  to 
retain  the  command.  However,  the  President  of 
Chili  interposed,  and  Pizarro  was  declared  to  be 
still  the  commander.  The  !  Esperanza '  was  so 
much  damaged  that  she  was  incapable  of  any  useful 
service,  and  the  two  captains  had  to  remain  in 
Chili  in  enforced  inaction. 

Tiring  of  this  they  went  back  by  land  to  Buenos 
Ayres,  in  the  year  1743,  and  at  Monte  Video  they 
found  the  '  Asia,'  which  they  had  left  there  nearly 
three  years  before.  Resolving  to  return  with  her  to 
Europe,  they  refitted  her  in  the  best  manner  they 
could  ;  but  there  was  difficulty  in  procuring  a  suffi- 
cient number  of  hands  to  navigate  her,  the  whole  of 


STORY  OF  DON  JOSEPH  PIZA  PRO'S  FLEET.    49 

the  remaining  sailors  of  the  squadron  to  be  met 
with  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Buenos  Ayres  not 
amounting  to  one  hundred.  They  sought  to  supply 
the  deficiency  by  taking  on  board  some  English 
prisoners,  some  Portuguese  smugglers,  and  a  band 
of  ten  Indians,  with  their  Chief  Orellana,  who  had 
been  surprised  and  captured  by  a  party  of  Spanish 
soldiers  three  months  before. 

With  this  motley  crew — all  of  them,  except  the 
European  Spaniards,  extremely  averse  to  the  voyage 
— Don  Joseph  Pizarro  set  sail  from  Monte  Video,  in 
the  River  Plate,  about  the  beginning  of  November 
1745.  The  Spaniards,  being  no  strangers  to  the  dis- 
satisfaction of  their  forced  men,  treated  them,  and 
the  English  prisoners,  and  the  Indians  alike  with  great 
insolence  and  barbarity ;  but  more  especially  the 
Indians  ;  for  it  was  common  for  the  pettiest  officers 
in  the  ship  to  beat  them  most  cruelly  on  the  slightest 
pretences,  and  sometimes  apparently  only  to  exert 
their  superiority.  Orellana  and  his  followers,  though 
outwardly  sufficiently  patient  and  submissive,  medi- 
tated a  terrible  revenge  for  all  these  inhumanities. 
As  he  conversed  very  well  in  Spanish  (those  Indians 
having  in  time  of  peace  much  intercourse  with 
Buenos  Ayres)  he  affected  to  talk  with  such  of  the 
English  as  understood  that  language,  and  seemed 
very  desirous  of  being  informed  how  many  English- 
men there  were  on  board,  and  which  they  were.  As 
he  knew  that  the  English  were  as  much  enemies  to 

4 


50  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

the  Spaniards  as  he  himself  was,  he  had  doubtless 
an  intention  of  disclosing  his  purposes  to  them,  and 
making  them  partners  in  the  scheme  he  had  pro- 
jected for  revenging  his  wrongs,  and  recovering  his 
liberty.  But  having  cautiously  sounded  some  of  the 
English,  and  not  finding  them  so  ready  to  listen  to 
his  scheme,  nor  so  revengeful  as  he  expected,  he 
proceeded  no  further  with  them,  but  resolved  to 
trust  alone  to  the  action  of  his  ten  faithful  followers. 
These  willingly  agreed  to  observe  his  directions,  and 
to  execute  whatever  commands  he  gave  them  ;  and 
having  been  put  in  possession  of  Orellana's  plans, 
they  made  preparations  for  carrying  them  out. 
They  first  furnished  themselves  with  sharp-pointed 
Dutch  knives,  which  they  had  no  difficulty  in  pro- 
curing, as  being  the  common  knives  used  in  the  ship. 
Thus  they  employed  their  leisure  in  secretly  cutting 
out  thongs  from  raw  hides,  of  which  there  were  great 
numbers  on  board,  and  in  fixing  to  each  end  of  these 
thongs  the  double-headed  shot  of  the  small  quarter- 
deck guns.  This,  when  swung  round  their  heads, 
according  to  the  practice  of  their  country,  was  a 
most  mischievous  weapon,  in  the  use  of  which  the 
Indians  about  Buenos  Ayres  are  trained  from  their 
infancy,  and  consequently  are  extremely  expert. 

These  preparations  being  in  good  forwardness, 
the  execution  of  the  scheme  was  perhaps  precipitated 
by  a  particular  outrage  committed  on  Orellana  him- 
self.    One  of  the  officers,  who  was  a  very  tyrannical, 


STORY  OF  DON  JOSEPH  PIZARRVS  FLEET.   51 

brutal  fellow,  ordered  Orellana  aloft,  which,  being 
what  he  was  incapable  of  performing,  the  officer, 
under  pretence  of  his  disobedience,  struck  him  with 
such  violence  that  he  left  him  bleeding  on  the  deck, 
and  stupefied  for  some  time  with  his  bruises  and 
wounds.  This  treatment  undoubtedly  heightened 
his  desire  for  revenge,  and  made  him  eager  and 
impatient  till  the  means  of  executing  it  were  in  his 
power,  which  was  only  a  day  or  two  after. 

It  was  about  nine  in  the  evening,  when  many  of 
the  principal  officers  were  on  the  quarter-deck, 
enjoying  the  fresh  night  air  ;  the  waist  of  the  ship 
was  filled  with  live  cattle,  and  the  forecastle  was 
manned  with  its  customary  watch.  Orellana  and 
his  companions,  under  cover  of  the  darkness,  having 
prepared  their  weapons,  and  thrown  off  whatever  of 
their  clothing  might  encumber  them,  came  in  a  body 
on  the  quarter-deck,  and  drew  toward  the  door  of 
the  great  cabin.  The  boatswain  first  saw  them,  and 
ordered  them  to  be  gone.  On  this  Orellana  spoke 
to  his  followers  in  their  own  language,  when  four  of 
them  drew  off,  two  towards  each  gangway,  and  the 
chief,  with  the  other  six,  seemed  to  be  slowly  quit- 
ting the  quarter-deck.  When  the  detached  Indians 
had  taken  their  position  at  the  gangways,  Orellana 
placed  his  hands  hollow  to  his  mouth,  and  uttered 
the  loud  hoarse  war-cry  used  by  these  savages. 
This  hideous  yell  was  the  signal  for  beginning  the 
massacre  ;  for  on  this  they  all  drew  their  knives  or 


FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 


brandished  their  thongs  with  double-headed  shot. 
The  six,  with  their  chief,  immediately  fell  on  the 
Spaniards,  quickly  laying  nearly  forty  at  their  feet, 
of  whom  twenty  were  killed  on  the  spot,  and  the 
rest  stunned  or  disabled.  Many  of  the  officers  at 
the  outbreak  of  the  tumult  pushed  into  the  great 
cabin,  where  they  put  out  the  lights,  and  barricaded 
the  door  ;  while  of  the  others  who  had  avoided  the 
first  fury  of  the  Indians,  some  endeavoured  to  escape 
along  the  gangways  into  the  forecastle,  but  most  of 
these  were  stabbed  by  the  Indians  as  they  attempted 
to  pass,  or  were  forced  off  the  gangways  into  the 
waist  of  the  ship  among  the  cattle  ;  others  threw 
themselves  over  the  barricades  into  the  waists,  seek- 
ing to  conceal  themselves  among  the  cattle  there. 
The  greater  number  escaped  at  the  moment  up  the 
main  shrouds,  and  sheltered  themselves  either  in  the 
tops  or  rigging.  And  though  the  Indians  attacked 
only  the  quarter-deck,  the  watch  in  the  forecastle, 
finding  their  communication  cut  off,  and  being 
terrified  by  the  wounds  of  the  few  who,  not  being 
killed  on  the  spot,  had  strength  left  to  reach  the 
forecastle,  and  not  knowing  who  their  enemies  were, 
being  seized  with  a  panic,  gave  all  over  for  lost,  and 
in  confusion  ran  up  into  the  rigging  of  the  foremast 
and  bowsprit. 

Thus  these  eleven  Indians,  by  their  craft  and 
daring,  actually  possessed  themselves  almost  in  a 
few  moments  of  the  quarter-deck  of  a  ship  mounting 


STORY  OF  DON  JOSEPH  PIZARRG S  FLEET.   53 

sixty-six  guns,  and  manned  with  nearly  five  hundred 
hands,  and  continued  for  a  considerable  time  in 
possession  of  the  post  they  had  so  suddenly  gained. 
For  the  officers  in  the  great  cabin  (among  whom 
were  Pizarro  and  Mindinuetta),  the  crew  between 
decks,  and  those  who  had  escaped  into  the  tops  and 
rigging,  were  only  anxious  about  their  own  safety, 
and  were  for  a  long  time  incapable  of  forming  any 
project  for  suppressing  the  insurrection,  the  nature 
and  extent  of  which  they  yet  were  unaware  of. 
The  yells  of  the  Indians,  the  groans  of  the 
wounded,  and  the  confused  cries  and  clamour  of  the 
crew,  all  heightened  by  the  obscurity  of  the  night, 
had  at  first  greatly  magnified  their  danger,  and 
filled  them  with  the  imaginary  terrors  which  dark- 
ness, disorder,  and  ignorance  of  the  real  strength  of 
an  enemy  never  fail  to  produce.  For,  as  the 
Spaniards  were  aware  of  the  disaffection  of  the 
pressed  hands,  and  were  also  conscious  of  their 
barbarity  to  their  prisoners,  they  imagined  that  the 
conspiracy  was  general,  and  considered  their  own 
destruction  so  certain  that  some  were  ready  to  leap 
into  the  sea  to  avoid  a  worse  death,  but  were 
prevented  by  their  companions. 

However,  when  the  Indians  had  entirely  cleared 
the  quarter-deck,  the  tumult  in  a  great  measure 
subsided  ;  for  those  who  had  escaped  the  first 
attacks  were  now  kept  silent  by  their  fears,  and  the 
Indians    were    incapable    of    following    them    aloft. 


54  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

Orellana,  when  he  saw  himself  master  of  the  quarter- 
deck, broke  open  the  arms-chest,  which,  in  view  of 
the  possibility  of  mutiny,  had  been  ordered  there  a 
few  days  before,  as  to  a  place  of  greater  security. 
Here,  he  took  for  granted,  he  would  find  cutlasses 
sufficient  for  himself  and  his  companions,  in  the  use 
of  which  weapon  they  were  all  extremely  skilful, 
and  with  these  they  proposed  to  force  the  great 
cabin.  But  on  opening  the  chest  they  saw  nothing 
but  fire-arms,  which  to  them  were  of  no  use.  There 
were  indeed  cutlasses  in  the  chest,  but  they  were 
hidden  by  the  fire-arms  laid  over  them  ;  and  this  was 
fortunate  for  the  Spaniards,  as  it  was  disappointing 
to  the  Indians. 

By  this  time  the  Admiral  and  his  officers  in  the 
great  cabin  were  capable  of  conversing  aloud, 
through  the  cabin  windows  and  portholes,  with 
those  in  the  gun-room  and  between  decks.  From 
them  they  learned  that  the  English  prisoners,  whom 
they  had  chiefly  suspected  of  being  at  the  bottom  of 
all  this  insurrection,  were  all  safe  below,  and  had  not 
intermeddled  in  the  mutiny,  and  by  further  enquiry 
they  ascertained  that  none  were  concerned  in  it  but 
Orellana  and  his  people. 

Upon  this,  Pizarro  and  the  officers  resolved  to 
attack  them  on  the  quarter-deck  at  once,  before  any 
of  the  other  malcontents  on  board  should  so  far 
recover  from  their  first  surprise  as  to  reflect  on 
the  facility  and  certainty  of  seizing  the  ship  by  a 


STORY  OF  DON  JOSEPH  PIZARRO' S  FLEET.    55 

junction  with  the  Indians  in  the  present  emergency. 
With  this  view  Pizarro  distributed  whatever  arms 
were  in  the  cabin  to  those  who  were  with  him  ;  but 
there  were  no  other  fire-arms  to  be  found  but  pistols, 
and  for  these  they  had  neither  powder  nor  ball. 
However,  having  now  got  communication  with  the 
gun-room,  they  lowered  a  bucket  out  of  the  cabin 
window,  into  which  the  gunner,  out  of  one  of  the 
gun-room  ports,  put  a  quantity  of  pistol  cartridges. 
Having  thus  procured  ammunition  and  loaded  their 
pistols,  they  set  the  cabin-door  partly  open,  and 
fired  several  shots  among  the  Indians  on  the  quarter- 
deck, at  first  without  effect  ;  but  at  last  Captain 
Mindinuetta  had  the  good  fortune  to  shoot  Orellana 
dead  on  the  spot,  on  which  his  faithful  companions, 
abandoning  all  hope  of  further  resistance,  leaped 
into  the  sea,  and  all  of  them  perished.  Thus  was 
this  insurrection  quelled,  and  the  possession  of  the 
quarter-deck  regained,  after  it  had  been  full  two 
hours  in  the  power  of  this  daring  chief  and  his 
brave  band  of  Indians. 

Having  escaped  this  crowning  peril,  Pizarro,  with- 
out other  adventure  or  mishap,  steered  for  Europe, 
and  arrived  on  the  coast  of  Gallicia  in  the  beginning 
of  the  year  1 746,  having  been  absent  between  four 
and  five  years.  The  result  of  the  whole  expedition, 
by  his  mission  to  thwart  that  of  Anson,  may  be  thus 
briefly  stated  :  four  fine  ships  of  war  were  utterly 
lost,  and    another    disabled    so    as   to    be  unfit   for 


56  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

further  service,  as  well  as  the  patache  of  twenty 
guns.  Above  three  thousand  hands,  the  flower  of 
the  Spanish  navy,  perished  ;  and  the  '  Asia,'  alone 
of  the  whole  squadron,  with  less  than  one  hundred 
hands,  returned  to  Europe.  The  weakening  of  the 
naval  power  of  Spain  to  this  considerable  amount, 
and  the  great  loss  of  treasure  as  well  as  of  life, 
may  be  reckoned  as  part  of  the  service  done  to 
England  by  the  equipment  of  Anson's  expedition. 
Having  thus  given  a  summary  of  the  history  of 
Don  Joseph  Pizarro's  adventures  and  disasters,  let  us 
now  return  to  the  narration  of  Anson's  voyage. 


CHAPTER    VI. 

FROM  MADEIRA  TO  ST.  CATHERINE'S,  OFF  THE 
COAST  OF  BRAZIL,  WITH  AN  ACCOUNT  OF 
THAT  ISLAND. 

T3EF0RE  leaving  Madeira,  on  the  3rd  of  Novem- 
*-*  ber,  Commodore  Anson  had  given  orders  to 
the  captains  to  rendezvous  at  St.  Jago,  one  of  the 
Cape  de  Verde  Islands.  But  on  the  next  day, 
when  at  sea,  the  Commodore,  considering  that  the 
season  was  now  far  advanced,  and  that  there  might 
be  unnecessary  delay  at  St.  Jago,  thought  proper  to 
alter  the  place  of  first  rendezvous,  which  was  now 
ordered  to  the  island  of  St.  Catherine,  off  the  coast 
of  Brazil. 

In  crossing  the  Atlantic  it  was  observed  that  the 
accounts  given  of  the  direction  and  the  strength  of 
the  trade  winds  were  not  in  accordance  altogether 
with  what  they  experienced.  Considerable  variations 
were  found,  both  in  respect  to  the  steadiness  of  the 
winds  and  the  quarters  from  whence  they  blew. 
But  as  these  matters,  both  concerning  winds  and 
currents  in  various  parts  of  the  ocean,  are  now  more 
fully    ascertained  by    modern    navigators,   especially 


58  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 


since  the  publication  of  the  works  of  Captain  Maury, 
and  the  more  elaborate  charts  of  recent  times,  it  is 
of  little  use  to  transcribe  details  of  what  Anson 
observed. 

On  Friday,  28  th  of  November,  they  crossed  the 
equinoctial,  with  a  fine  fresh  gale  at  S.E.,  being  then 
in  the  longitude  of  270  59/  west  from  London.  On 
the  10th  of  December,  being  by  their  reckonings 
in  the  latitude  of  200  S.  and  3  6°  30'  longitude  west 
from  London,  the  '  Tryal '  fired  a  gun  as  signal  to 
denote  soundings.  They  found  sixty  fathom  water, 
the  bottom  coarse  ground  with  broken  shells.  This 
was  the  sounding  made  by  the  '  Centurion.'  The 
'  Tryal,'  being  ahead,  had  at  one  time  thirty-seven 
fathom,  afterwards  increasing  to  ninety,  and  then 
she  found  no  bottom,  which  happened  also  to  the 
'  Centurion '  at  a  second  trial  with  a  hundred  and 
fifty  fathom  line.  This  was  the  shoal  laid  down  on 
the  charts  by  the  name  of  the  Abrollos,  upon  the 
edge  of  which  they  seemed  to  be  ;  perhaps  further 
in  this  shoal  might  be  dangerous. 

When  their  reckoning  made  them  about  eighty 
leagues  from  Cape  Frio,  they  altered  their  course, 
standing  more  to  the  southward.  They  found  a 
considerable  current  setting  to  the  southward  after 
passing  the  latitude  of  160  south.  And  the  same 
current  was  observed  all  along  the  coast  of  Brazil, 
even  south  of  the  River  Plate,  amounting  sometimes 
to   above   thirty    miles  in  twenty-four  hours,  which 


FROM  MADEIRA    TO  ST.    CATHERINE'S.     59 

caused  Commodore  Anson  to  express  a  strong  wish 
for  the  more  full  and  accurate  observation  and  record 
of  ocean  currents,  such  as  is  now  happily  the  case  in 
modern  charts. 

A  more  pressing  anxiety  with  the  Commodore 
was  the  condition  of  his  crew.  In  the  long  passage 
to  Madeira  only  two  men  died  from  sickness  ;  but 
in  the  voyage  from  Madeira  to  St.  Catherine's  many 
died,  and  great  numbers  were  confined  to  their 
hammocks  unfit  for  duty,  and  this  in  all  of  the  ships- 
The  complaints  were  of  the  febrile  nature,  usually 
called  in  those  times  '  calentures,'  the  attacks  being 
often  fatal,  and  always  leaving  a  dangerous  state  of 
weakness,  along  with  griping  and  fluxes.  As  these 
complaints  increased  daily  at  sea,  it  was  with  great 
joy  that  the  coast  of  Brazil  was  descried  early  in  the 
morning  of  the  16th  of  December.  The  coast  when 
first  sighted  was  about  seventeen  leagues  distant. 
Standing  in  toward  land,  they  steered  between  the 
north  point  of  St.  Catherine's,  and  the  adjoining 
island  of  Alvarado,  and  when  the  soundings  decreased 
to  twelve  fathom  they  came  to  anchor,  on  the 
evening  of  the  18th.  The  approach  of  the  squadron 
had  evidently  caused  alarm,  for  guns  were  fired  from 
the  two  forts  of  Santa  Cruz  and  St.  Juan,  one  on 
the  island  and  the  other  on  the  mainland,  the  forts 
apparently  being  to  prevent  an  enemy  passing  be- 
tween St.  Catherine's  and  the  mainland. 

To  prevent  confusion,  the  Commodore  immediately 


60  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

sent  a  boat  with  an  officer  on  shore  to  pay  respects 
to  the  Governor,  and  desire  a  pilot  to  carry  them 
into  the  road.  The  Governor  sent  a  very  civil 
answer,  and  ordered  a  pilot,  who  brought  them  to 
anchor  in  five  and  a  half  fathom  water,  in  a  large 
and  commodious  bay  on  the  continent  side,  called 
by  the  French  '  Bon  Port.'  Next  morning  the 
squadron  weighed,  in  order  to  run  above  the  two 
forts,  saluting  that  of  Santa  Cruz  with  eleven  guns 
in  passing,  the  salute  being  answered  with  an  equal 
number  from  the  fort. 

On  the  2 1st  December  the  whole  squadron  moored 
at  St.  Catherine's,  in  a  position  which  seemed  safe 
and  convenient  for  getting  the  sick  men  on  shore, 
about  whom  the  Commodore  was  now  extremely 
concerned.  Orders  were  given  for  two  tents  to  be 
erected  by  each  ship,  one  for  the  reception  of  the 
diseased,  and  the  other  for  the  surgeon  and  his 
assistants.  About  eighty  were  landed  from  the 
'  Centurion,'  and  nearly  the  same  proportion  from 
the  other  ships,  according  to  the  number  of  their 
hands.  Work  was  at  once  commenced  of  thorough 
cleansing,  scraping  the  decks,  fumigating  with  burn- 
ing wood  and  tar,  and  doing  everything  to  correct 
the  offensiveness  of  the  condition  of  the  ships. 
The  next  employment  was  wooding  and  watering 
the  squadron,  caulking  the  ships'  sides  and  planks, 
overhauling  the  rigging,  and  securing  the  masts, 
as    far    as    possible,    for   the    tempestuous    weather 


FROM  MADEIRA    TO  SI.    CATHERINE'S.     61 

expected  in  the  passage  round  Cape  Horn  at  so  late 
a  season  of  the  year. 

The  island  of  St.  Catherine's,  or  rather  the  group 
of  islands  of  which  it  is  the  largest,  can  boast  of 
great  fertility  of  soil  and  abundance  of  vegetation, 
but  the  climate  is  close  and  humid,  and  fevers  and 
other  tropical  diseases  are  frequent.  The  chief  island 
is  about  nine  leagues  long,  but  only  two  in  breadth. 
In  early  times  of  the  Portuguese  settlement  of 
Brazil,  these  islands  were  made  a  retreat  for  all 
sorts  of  vagabonds  and  outlaws,  and  these  used 
to  have  a  captain  or  leader  of  their  own  choice, 
to  whom  some  subjection  was  made ;  but  when 
the  place  came  to  be  more  populated,  and  ships  of 
other  nations  touched  on  their  way  to  the  South 
Seas,  the  Portuguese  sent  a  regular  governor,  with 
various  officials,  and  a  garrison  of  soldiers.  The 
writer  of  Anson's  narrative  gives  lengthened  descrip- 
tions of  the  islands,  and  also  of  the  great  Portuguese 
colony  of  Brazil,  with  its  gold  and  diamond  mines, 
which  then  brought  wealth  to  the  mother-country. 
But  the  subsequent  history  of  Brazil  has  so  com- 
pletely altered  the  position  of  affairs  that  little 
information  of  a  useful  or  interesting  kind  is  to 
be  gathered  from  these  old  accounts  of  the  land 
and  its  people. 

The  recovery  of  the  sick,  the  repair  of  the  ships, 
and  other  necessary  business,  especially  the  refitting 
and  securing  of  the  masts,  for  which  it  was  difficult 


62  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

to  obtain  proper  materials,  took  up  longer  time  than 
the  Commodore  anticipated,  and  a  month,  instead 
of  a  fortnight,  was  passed  in  these  occupations. 
They  were  all  glad  to  leave  St.  Catherine's,  and  the 
neighbourhood  of  Brazil.  The  Portuguese  are  a 
people  ever  found  to  be  crafty  and  treacherous,  and 
as  to  the  climate,  its  healthiness  had  been  overrated 
by  former  voyagers.  The  '  Centurion  '  buried  twenty- 
eight  men  in  the  time  they  were  there,  and  the  number 
of  sick  did  not  diminish,  but  increased  from  eighty 
to  nearly  a  hundred.  When  the  tents  on  shore 
were  struck,  and  everything  was  ready  for  departure, 
the  Commodore  made  signal  for  all  the  captains 
to  come  to  him,  and  their  orders  were  delivered, 
containing  the  successive  places  of  rendezvous  from 
thence  to  the  coast  of  China.  Then,  on  the  next 
day,  January  18th,  the  signal  was  made  for  weigh- 
ing and  the  squadron  put  to  sea,  well  pleased  to 
leave  St.  Catherine's,  though  it  might  be  said  to 
be  the  last  friendly  port  to  touch  at,  and  the  voyage 
was  now  to  be  made  into  hostile  and  inhospitable 
regions. 


CHAPTER    VII. 

COMMODORE  ANSON'S  PLANS  FOR   THE   VOYAGE 
TO  THE  SOUTH  SEAS. 

T  N  the  orders  delivered  to  the  captains  of  the 
■*■  squadron  before  leaving  St.  Catherine's,  the  first 
place  of  rendezvous  was  to  be  the  bay  of  Port 
St.  Julian.  This  place  was  known  chiefly  from  the 
account  of  it  given  by  Sir  John  Narborough,  who 
was  sent  out  by  King  Charles  II.  expressly  to 
examine  these  regions  and  the  Straits  of  Magellan. 
He  wintered  at  St.  Julian  and  Port  Desire  in  1670. 
At  St.  Julian  the  captains  of  Anson's  ships  were  to 
wait  for  ten  days,  even  if  the  Commodore  did  not 
join  them,  and  he  made  promise  that,  if  his  own 
ship  possibly  were  disabled  from  getting  round 
Cape  Horn  the  expedition  should  not  be  abandoned. 
They  were  thence  to  proceed  through  the  Straits 
Le  Maire,  round  Cape  Horn,  into  the  South  Seas, 
where  the  first  place  of  rendezvous  was  to  be  the 
island  of  Nostra  Sefiora  del  Socoro,  in  latitude  450 
south,  and  longitude  from  the  Lizard  71°  12'  west. 
They  were  to  cruise  from  five  to  twelve  leagues,  as 


64  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

long  as  their  wood  and  water  would  permit,  and  if 
a  fresh  supply  should  be  necessary  they  were  to 
stand  in  and  seek  for  suitable  anchoring  places.  If 
the  weather  made  it  dangerous  to  supply  the  ships 
by  standing  off  and  on,  they  were  to  make  the  best 
of  their  way  to'  the  island  of  Juan  Fernandez,  in 
the  latitude  of  330  37'  south.  At  that  island,  after 
recruiting  their  wood  and  water,  they  were  to  con- 
tinue cruising  off  the  anchoring  place  for  fifty-six 
days,  after  which,  if  not  joined  by  the  Commodore, 
they  might  conclude  that  some  accident  had  befallen 
him,  and  they  were  forthwith  to  put  themselves 
under  the  command  of  the  senior  officer,  who  was 
thereafter  to  use  his  utmost  efforts  to  annoy  the 
enemy  both  by  sea  and  land. 

With  this  design,  the  new  commander  of  the 
expedition  was  to  remain  in  these  seas  as  long  as 
his  provisions  lasted,  or  as  they  could  be  recruited 
by  what  they  captured  from  the  Spaniards,  reserving 
only  a  sufficient  quantity  to  carry  the  fleet  to  Macao, 
at  the  entrance  of  the  river  of  Canton  on  the  coast 
of  China,  where,  having  supplied  himself  with  a  new 
stock  of  provisions,  the  Commander  was  to  make 
the  best  of  his  way  to  England.  The  captain  of 
the  victualling-ship,  the  '  Anna  '  pink,  was  to  put 
himself  under  the  orders  of  the  new  Commodore, 
for  it  had  as  yet  been  found  impossible  to  unload 
her  stores  for  the  ships  of  the  fleet.  The  other 
victualler,  the  'Industry'  pink,  had  been  unloaded 


COMMODORE  ANSON'S  PLANS.  65 

and  dismissed  soon  after  leaving  Madeira,  parting 
company  at  sea,  and  making  for  Barbadoes,  there 
to  get  another  cargo  to  take  home.  Most  of  the 
officers  wrote  letters  by  the  '  Industry,'  but  they 
never  reached  their  destination,  the  vessel  having 
been  taken  by  the  Spaniards. 

After  passing  the  latitude  of  the  River  Plate,  the 
same  strong  currents  southward  were  noticed  as 
before.  Soundings  were  carefully  taken  all  along 
the  coast  of  Patagonia.  The  ships  were  frequently 
separated  during  the  passage  southward,  and  it  was 
on  one  of  these  occasions  that  the  '  Pearl '  reported 
having  been  chased  by  a  hostile  fleet,  consisting  of 
two  ships  of  seventy  guns,  two  of  fifty,  and  one  of 
forty  guns.  Captain  Kidd,  of  the  '  Pearl,'  had  died 
on  the  31st  of  January. 

On  reaching  St.  Julian's  Bay,  all  the  shisp  were 
together,  but  the  '  Tryal '  was  in  need  of  so  much 
refitting,  that  the  Commodore  was  detained  longer 
than  would  have  been  otherwise  expedient.  But 
that  sloop  could  never  have  got  round  the  Cape  as 
she  was.  The  main-mast  had  been  carried  away, 
about  twelve  feet  below  the  cap,  and  the  remaining 
part  had  to  serve  again,  while  the  '  Wager '  was 
ordered  to  supply  her  with  a  spar  main-top-mast, 
which  the  carpenters  converted  into  a  new  fore- mast 
It  was  found  afterwards  that  the  lessening  the  height 
of  the  masts  was  an  advantage  in  these  boisterous 
glimates. 

5 


66  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

While  staying  at  St.  Julian  the  Commodore  ap- 
pointed the  Hon.  Captain  Murray  to  succeed  to  the 
1  Pearl,'  and  Captain  Cheap  to  the  *  Wager,'  and  he 
promoted  Mr.  C.  Saunders,  his  first  lieutenant,  to 
the  command  of  the  '  Tryal '  sloop.  But  as  Captain 
Saunders  was  lying  dangerously  ill  of  a  fever  on 
board  the  '  Centurion,'  and  the  surgeons  thought  his 
removal  might  be  dangerous,  the  Commodore  gave 
order  that  Mr.  Saumarez,  now  the  first  lieutenant 
of  the  '  Centurion,'  should  act  as  master  and  com- 
mander of  the  '  Tryal '  during  the  illness  of  Captain 
Saunders. 

From  the  experience  of  those  times  Commodore 
Anson  concluded  that  all  ships  should  if  possible 
make  the  passage  in  December  or  January,  and  never 
attempt  the  doubling  of  Cape  Horn  from  the  eastward 
after  the  month  of  March  ;  that  instead  of  passing 
through  Straits  Le  Maire,  as  had  always  before  been 
recommended,  a  course  should  be  taken  to  the  east- 
ward of  Statenland,  and  the  run  to  the  southward  be 
continued  as  far  as  6i°  or  6 2°  before  attempting  to 
stand  to  the  westward,  and  then  be  sure  of  sufficient 
westing  before  thinking  of  steering  northward.  The 
nearer  the  coasts  the  stronger  are  the  currents,  and 
the  more  sudden  and  violent  the  winds.  But  all  this 
is  so  altered  by  steam  navigation  that  it  is  needless 
to  dwell  upon  the  advice  which  might  have  been 
serviceable  to  Anson's  successors. 

One  point  the  Commodore  strongly  urged,   that 


COMMODORE  ANSON'S  PLANS.  67 

the  practice  of  calling  at  St.  Catherine's  should  be 
abandoned,  and  the  start  for  rounding  the  Cape  be 
made  from  a  place  more  to  the  south,  either  Pepys 
Island,  in  latitude  470  south,  or  the  Falkland  Islands. 
He  mentions  that  Captain  Woods  Rogers,  with  the 
'  Duke '  and  '  Duchess,'  of  Bristol,  was  only  thirty- 
five  days  from  losing  sight  of  Falkland  Islands  to 
their  arrival  at  Juan  Fernandez  in  the  South  Seas  ; 
and  as  the  return  is  much  facilitated  by  the  western 
winds,  a  voyage  might  readily  be  made  from  Falkland 
Islands  to  Juan  Fernandez  and  back  again  in  little 
more  than  two  months. 

At  the  time  when  Anson's  squadron  was  at  St. 
Julian,  not  much  was  generally  known  about  Pata- 
gonia, the  country  from  the  River  Plate  down  to  the 
Straits  of  Magellan.  There  was  little  forest ;  as  Sir 
John  Narborough  said,  '  he  never  saw  a  stick  of 
wood  in  the  country  large  enough  to  make  the  handle 
of  a  hatchet.'  The  pasture  seemed  to  be  everywhere 
good,  and  supporting  immense  herds  of  cattle,  spread 
originally  from  those  brought  by  the  Spaniards  to 
Buenos  Ayres.  They  were  not  then  considered 
private  property,  but  thousands  were  slaughtered  by 
hunters  only  for  their  hides  and  tallow.  There  were 
large  numbers  also  of  wild  horses,  to  take  which, 
and  such  of  the  cattle  as  they  desired  to  keep  alive, 
they  used  the  lasso  with  wonderful  expertness. 
Very  few  Indians  frequent  this  eastern  coast ;  in  fact, 
none  were  seen  during  Anson's  stay  at  St.  Julian's. 


68  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

The  Indians  in  Anson's  time  were  very  numerous 
near  Buenos  Ayres,  and  had  learned  from  association 
with  the  Spaniards  the  management  of  cutting 
weapons  and  tools,  though  fire-arms  were  kept  by 
the  Spaniards  from  being  much  in  their  hands. 
They  had,  however,  learned  to  be  excellent  horse- 
men ;  and  they  had  spirit  and  activity,  like  those 
Indians  of  Chili,  who  long  set  the  whole  Spanish 
power  at  defiance,  and  kept  their  independence. 
The  western  part  of  Patagonia  is  of  less  extent,  as 
the  Andes  reach  down  near  to  the  coast,  and  the 
coasts  are  rocky  and  dangerous.  One  peculiarity 
about  St.  Julian's  ought  to  be  mentioned,  that  there 
is  a  salt  lake  there,  from  which  it  was  long  custom- 
ary for  vessels  to  take  stores  on  touching  at  the 
place. 


CHAPTER   VIII. 

FROM  ST.  JULIAN  TO  THE  STRAITS  LE  MAIRE, 
AND  TO  CAPE  NOIR. 

*nr*HE  '  Tryal'  being  nearly  refitted,  which  was  the 
■"■  sole  cause  of  staying  at  St.  Julian,  a  signal  was 
made  for  the  captains  to  a  council  of  war  on 
board  the  '  Centurion.'  All  were  present,  and  also 
Colonel  Cracherode,  commander  of  the  land  forces. 
At  this  council  Anson  proposed  that  the  first 
attempt,  after  arrival  in  the  South  Seas,  should  be 
to  attack  the  town  and  harbour  of  Baldivia,  in  Chili. 
All  assented,  and  then  Anson  gave  further  instruc- 
tions in  case  of  separation  that  they  were  to  make  for 
the  island  of  Socoro,  but  to  cruise  off  only  ten  days, 
notwithstanding  the  previous  orders  given  at  St. 
Catherine's  ;  and  then  if  not  joined  by  the  Commo- 
dore to  proceed  and  cruise  off  the  harbour  of  Baldi- 
via, making  land  between  latitude  400  and  400  30'. 
If  in  fourteen  days  they  were  not  joined  by  all  the 
squadron,  they  were  to  make  the  best  of  their  way 
to  Juan  Fernandez,  after  which  they  were  to  regu- 
late their  proceedings  by  the  former  orders.      Each 


jo  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

captain  was  also  ordered  to  give  strict  charge  to  the 
respective  officers  of  the  watch  in  each  ship  never 
to  be  at  greater  distance  from  the  '  Centurion  '  than 
two  miles.  This  anxiety  to  keep  the  ships  together 
was  due  to  the  expectation  of  falling  in  with  the 
Spanish  fleet  under  Pizarro,  but  for  which  it  would 
have  been  natural  to  order  each  ship  to  make  the 
best  of  its  way  to  the  rendezvous  without  waiting 
for  the  others. 

The  departure  from  St.  Julian's  was  on  the  27th 
of  February.  From  this  till  the  4th  of  March  the 
weather  was  moderate,  but  on  that  night  it  blew 
hard,  and  all  the  next  day,  so  that  they  had  to  con- 
tinue with  a  reefed  mizzen  till  midnight.  On  the 
following  morning  the  land  called  Tierra  del  Fuego 
was  first  sighted,  stretching  from  the  S.  by  W.  to 
the  S.E.  7?  E.  The  land  seemed  of  vast  height,  and 
covered  with  snow.  Along  the  shore  they  steered 
all  day,  having  soundings  from  forty  to  fifty  fathom. 
As  they  intended  to  pass  through  Straits  Le  Maire 
next  day,  they  lay  to  at  night.  At  four  in  the 
morning,  March  7th,  they  made  sail,  and  at  eight 
saw  the  land,  and  soon  after  began  to  open  the 
Straits.  They  entered  them  with  fair  weather  and 
a  brisk  gale,  and  were  hastened  through  by  the 
rapidity  of  the  tide  in  about  two  hours,  though  they 
are  between  seven  and  eight  leagues  in  length.  The 
1  Pearl '  and  the  '  Tryal  '  were  ordered  to  keep  ahead 
of  the  squadron.     As  these  Straits  are  esteemed  to 


ST  JULIAN  TO  THE  STRAITS  LE  MAIRE.    71 

be  the  boundary  between  the  Atlantic  and  Pacific 
Oceans,  and  as  it  was  expected  that  soon  an  open 
sea,  with  fair  climate,  was  beyond,  joyous  hopes  were 
cherished,  which  the  bright  sky  and  pleasant  weather 
fostered,  and  the  imagination  was  filled  with  ro- 
mantic ideas  about  the  easy  possession  of  Chilian 
gold  and  Peruvian  silver.  Animated  by  these  flatter- 
ing delusions,  they  passed  these  memorable  Straits, 
little  knowing  of  the  dire  calamities  then  impend- 
ing, and  ready  to  break  upon  them  ;  ignorant  that 
the  time  was  at  hand  when  the  squadron  would  be 
separated  never  to  unite  again,  and  that  this  was  the 
last  cheerful  day  many  of  them  would  live  to  enjoy. 
Scarcely  had  the  stern  most  ships  of  the  squadron 
got  clear  of  the  Straits  Le  Maire,  when  signs  of  an 
impending  storm  appeared.  Soon  the  wind  shifted 
to  the  southward,  and  blew  in  such  violent  squalls 
that  they  were  obliged  to  hand  their  top-sails  and 
reef  the  main-sail  of  the  *  Centurion '  ;  while  the 
tide  at  the  same  time,  hitherto  favourable,  turned 
straight  against  them,  and  drew  them  strongly  to  the 
eastward.  The  Commodore  was  in  much  anxiety 
about  the  'Wager'  and  the  'Anna'  pink,  the  two 
sternmost  vessels,  fearing  they  would  be  dashed  to 
pieces  against  the  shore  of  Statenland,  the  opposite 
side  of  the  Straits  to  Tierra  del  Fuego,  and  this  fate 
they  very  narrowly  escaped.  And  now  the  whole 
squadron,  instead  of  pursuing  their  intended  course 
to  the   S.W.,  were  driven   to   the  eastward  by  the 


72  FROM  MIDDY  TO  AD  AURAL. 

wind  and  currents  combined,  and  next  morning 
found  themselves  near  seven  leagues  to  the  east- 
ward of  Straits  Le  Maire,  which  then  bore  from 
the  N.W. 

From  the  time  when  this  storm  burst  upon  them, 
before  they  got  clear  of  the  Straits  Le  Maire,  there 
followed  a  continual  succession  of  such  tempestuous 
weather  that  the  oldest  seamen  in  the  fleet  had 
never  seen  the  like  of  in  any  part  of  the  world. 
The  violent  blasts  of  wind  raised  short  and  at  the 
same  time  mountainous  waves,  so  that  they  were  in 
constant  terror  that  if  one  of  these  waves  fairly 
broke  over  the  ship  it  must  almost  certainly  go  to 
the  bottom.  The  incessant  rolling  of  the  ship 
caused  such  violent  motion  that  the  men  were  in 
danger  of  being  dashed  against  the  decks  or  sides 
of  the  ship  ;  and  though  they  were  careful  to  lessen 
the  shocks  by  holding  on  to  some  fixed  body,  many 
of  the  people  on  board  the  '  Centurion  '  were  forced 
from  their  hold,  some  being  terribly  bruised,  and 
several  had  their  collar-bones  or  ribs  broken,  and 
one  his  thigh,  through  being  thrown  into  the  main 
hold.  One  of  the  boatswain's  mates  broke  his 
collar-bone  twice,  not  to  mention  many  other  casual- 
ties, from  which  the  injured  men  never  wholly 
recovered. 

The  record  of  these  tempestuous  times  we  must 
give  in  the  very  words  of  Mr.  Walter,  the  chaplain 
of  the  '  Centurion,'  who  says  :  '  We  were  oftentimes 


ST.  JULIAN  TO  THE  STRAITS  LE  MA  IRE.    7$ 

obliged  to  lie  to  for  days  together  under  a  reefed 
mizzen,  and  were  frequently  reduced  to  lie  at  the 
mercy  of  the  waves  under  our  bare  poles,  yet  now 
and  then  we  ventured  to  make  sail  with  our  courses 
double-reefed  ;  and  the  weather  proving  more  toler- 
able would  perhaps  encourage  us  to  set  our  top-sails ; 
after  which  the  wind,  without  any  previous  notice 
would  return  upon  us  with  redoubled  force,  and 
would  in  an  instant  tear  our  sails  from  the  yards. 
And  that  no  circumstance  might  be  wanting  which 
could  aggrandize  our  distress,  these  blasts  generally 
brought  with  them  a  great  quantity  of  snow  and 
sleet,  which  cased  our  rigging  and  froze  our  sails 
thereby  rendering  them  and  our  cordage  brittle  and 
apt  to  snap  on  the  slightest  strain,  adding  great 
difficulty  and  labour  to  the  working  of  the  ship, 
benumbing  the  limbs  of  our  people,  and  making 
them  incapable  of  exerting  themselves  with  their 
usual  activity,  and  even  disabling  many  of  them  by 
mortifying  their  toes  and  fingers.' 

The  chaplain  gives  an  account  of  various  disasters 
that  befel  them,  and  describes  the  calamitous  condi- 
tion of  the  whole  squadron  during  the  navigation, 
from  the  7th  of  March  to  the  23rd,  when  a  storm 
of  wind,  hail,  and  sleet,  with  a  very  great  sea,  did 
much  damage  to  the  sails  and  rigging  of  the 
1  Centurion.'  The  main-sail  itself  split  in  rags, 
and  in  spite  of  every  effort  to  save  it  the  greater 
part   was   blown   overboard.     A   lull   in    the  storm 


74  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

succeeded,  and,  the  carpenters  having  made  some 
repairs  to  the  rigging,  they  got  under  sail  again, 
after  bringing  to  ;  but  in  less  than  twenty-four 
hours  they  were  attacked  by  another  storm  more 
furious  than  the  former  ;  for  it  proved  a  perfect 
hurricane,  and  reduced  them  to  the  necessity  of 
lying  to  under  bare  poles. 

Then  there  occurred  an  incident  which  must  be 
narrated  in  the  very  words  of  the  old  narrative,  for 
it  is  the  record  of  an  event  which  deeply  touched 
the  heart  of  the  poet  Cowper  when  he  read  it  long 
afterwards,  and  suggested  to  him  that  affecting  and 
beautiful  though  sadly-toned  poem  of  the  '  Castaway.' 
Here  is  the  passage  : — 

'  As  our  ship  [the  "  Centurion  "J  kept  the  wind 
better  than  any  of  therest,  we  were  obliged,  in  the 
afternoon,  to  wear  ship,  in  order  to  join  the  squadron 
to  the  leeward,  which  otherwise  we  should  have 
been  in  danger  of  losing  in  the  night ;  and  as  we 
dared  not  venture  any  sail  abroad,  we  were  obliged 
to  make  use  of  an  expedient  which  answered  our 
purpose  ;  this  was  putting  the  helm  a-weather,  and 
manning  the  fore-shrouds.  But  though  this  method 
proved  successful  for  the  end  intended,  yet,  in  the 
execution  of  it,  one  of  our  ablest  seamen  was  carried 
overboard.  We  perceived  that,  notwithstanding  the 
prodigious  agitation  of  the  waves,  he  swam  very 
strong,  and  it  was  with  the  utmost  concern  that  we 
found  ourselves  incapable  of  assisting  him  ;  indeed, 


ST.  JULIAN  TO  THE  STRAITS  LE  MAIRE.    75 

we  were  the  more  grieved  at  his  unhappy  fate,  as 
we  lost  sight  of  him  struggling  with  the  waves,  and 
conceived,  from  the  manner  in  which  he  swam,  that 
he  might  continue  sensible  for  a  considerable  time 
longer  of  the  horror  attending  his  irretrievable 
situation.' 

After  the  last-mentioned  storm,  there  were  some 
days  of  less  tempestuous  wind,  but  a  fog  came  on,  in 
which  they  were  obliged  to  fire  guns  almost  every 
half-hour  to  keep  the  squadron  together.  On  the 
3 1  st  of  March  a  gun  was  fired  as  a  signal  from  the 
1  Gloucester '  that  the  captain  wanted  to  speak  with 
the  Commodore.  It  was  to  tell  of  the  main-yard 
being  broken  in  the  slings — an  awkward  mishap, 
in  so  far  that  it  must  be  a  hindrance  to  the  squadron, 
and  detain  it  the  longer  in  these  inclement  lati- 
tudes. The  Commodore  immediately  ordered  several 
carpenters  from  the  other  ships  to  be  put  on  board 
the  '  Gloucester '  to  expedite  the  repairs  and  the 
damage.  About  the  same  time  the  '  Tryal '  reported 
that  the  pumps  were  so  bad  that  they  were  almost 
useless,  and  the  Commodore  sent  one  fitted  ready 
from  his  own  ship.  It  was  fortunate  that  the 
weather  for  a  few  days  permitted  the  carpenters  to 
be  put  aboard,  as  it  had  seldom  been  possible  to 
venture  a  boat  on  the  sea.  As  it  was,  the  absence 
of  the  carpenter  from  the  '  Wager '  was  inconvenient, 
as  will  presently  appear. 

The  early  days  of  April  were  tempestuous.     On 


76  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

the    3rd   a  storm   began    which   was    more    violent 
and  long-continued  than  any  hitherto  encountered. 
The  '  Centurion  '  received  a  furious  shock  from  a  sea 
which  broke  upon  the  larboard  quarter,  and  rushed 
into    the    ship    like    a    deluge.     The    rigging    also 
was  greatly  injured.     To  ease  the  stress  upon  the 
masts  and  shrouds,  the  main  and  fore  yards  were 
lowered,    and    all    sails    were    furled,    and    in     this 
position  they  lay  to  for  three  or  four  days.     At  three 
o'clock  on  the  morning  of  the  8th  of  April,  the  gale 
having    been    severe    during    the    night,    signals    of 
distress   were  heard  to  leeward.      The  Commodore 
made  a  signal  for  the  squadron  to  bring  to,  and  at 
daybreak  the  '  Wager  '  was  seen  a  considerable  way 
to  leeward  of  any  of  the  other    ships  ;    and   they 
soon  perceived  that  she  had  lost  her   mizzen-mast 
and    main-top-yard.     Bearing    down    to    her,    the 
Commodore  found   that   the  disaster    had  occurred 
through  the   badness  of  her    ironwork,  for   all    the 
chain-plates  to  windward  had  given  way  upon  the 
ship  fetching  a  deep  roll.     The  weather  was   now 
too    severe    to    permit    the  '  Wager's '  carpenter  to 
return  from   the  '  Gloucester,'   where   he   had    been 
since  the   31st  of   March.     Nor  was  this  the  only 
mishap  to  the  squadron,  for  the  'Anna'  pink  had 
broken    her    fore-stay    and    the    gammon     of    her 
bowsprit,  and  they  were  in  fear  of  having  all  their 
masts  coming  down  by  the  board. 

Bearing  away  till  all  had  been  made  fast  as  far 


ST.  JULIAN  TO  THE  STRAITS  LE  MAIRE.    77 

as  practicable,  the  squadron  haled  upon  a  wind 
again,  with  hope  still  springing  that  an  end  was  at 
hand  to  the  troubles  and  disasters  of  the  past 
forty  days.  For  towards  the  end  of  March,  by  their 
reckoning,  they  had  advanced  near  io°  westward  of 
the  westernmost  point  of  Tierra  del  Fuego,  an  allow- 
ance double  what  former  navigators  had  thought 
necessary  to  be  taken  in  order  to  compensate  the 
drift  of  the  current ;  and  so  they  reckoned  they  might 
stand  northward  as  speedily  as  possible.  And  on  the 
13th  of  April  they  were  but  a  degree  in  latitude  to 
the  southward  of  the  western  entrance  of  the  Straits 
of  Magellan,  so  that  they  expected  in  a  few  days  to 
experience  the  tranquillity  of  the  Pacific  Ocean. 
But  these  fond  hopes  were  shattered  the  next  day, 
when  a  signal  was  made  from  the  '  Anna '  pink  of 
seeing  land  right  ahead  at  scarce  two  miles  distant : 
and  but  for  the  wind  shifting  from  S.W.  to  W.N.W., 
and  the  moon  shining  out,  they  could  all  have 
scarcely  avoided  running  on  shore  ;  but  they  were 
enabled  to  clear  themselves  of  this  unlooked-for 
danger,  and  to  gain  by  noon  an  offing  of  nearly 
twenty  leagues.  It  was  concluded  that  this  land 
was  part  of  Tierra  del  Fuego,  near  the  southern 
outlet  of  the  Straits  of  Magellan,  called  Cape  Noir 
in  Frezier's  chart.  So  far  to  the  eastward  had  the 
currents  carried  them,  and  instead  of  running  down, 
as  they  reckoned,  nearly  twenty  degrees  of  longitude, 
they  had   not  advanced  half  that  distance.     Again 


78  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

therefore  they  had  to  steer  to  the  southward,  and 
again  to  encounter  those  western  blasts  which  had 
so  long  baffled  and  terrified  them. 

At  this  time  of  disappointment  the  spirits  of  the 
people  in  the  ships  were  much  depressed,  and  many 
sickened  and  died,  while  all  were  less  capable  of 
supporting  the  hardships  yet  to  be  encountered. 
This  feeling  was  intensified  by  diminution  of  the 
strength  of  the  squadron,  for  in  spite  of  the  exertions 
to  keep  as  much  together  as  possible  the  '  Severn  ' 
and  the  '  Pearl '  were  lost  sight  of,  and  heard  of 
no  more  ;  possibly,  as  they  thought  then,  having 
struck  on  that  shore  from  which  the  '  Centurion ' 
and  the  others  had  so  narrow  escape. 


THE    "  CENTURION  "    OFF   CAPE    HORN. 


[/>■  79- 


CHAPTER    IX. 

TO  JUAN  FERNANDEZ. 

A  FTER  the  mortifying  disappointment  of  falling 
•*■*■  in  with  the  coast  of  Tierra  del  Fuego  when 
they  had  reckoned  they  were  ten  degrees  to  the 
west  of  it,  they  stood  away  to  the  S.W.  till  April 
22nd,  when  they  were  in  upwards  of  6o°  of  south 
latitude.  On  the  24th  a  great  storm  succeeded 
to  more  moderate  weather,  and  the  '  Centurion ' 
received  much  damage  to  her  rigging,  while  the 
Commodore  was  further  troubled  by  the  separation 
of  the  other  ships  of  the  squadron,  after  managing 
to  keep  together  through  all  the  tempestuous  weather 
of  the  previous  two  months.  Nor  did  any  two  of 
the  ships,  as  they  afterwards  found  when  the  sur- 
vivors met  at  Juan  Fernandez,  continue  in  company 
or  see  anything  of  each  other. 

On  the  1st  of  May  they  had  reached  to  latitude 
5  2°  1 3',  which,  lying  northward  of  the  Straits  of 
Magellan,  ought  to  be  regarded  as  arriving  in  the 
Pacific  or  at  its  confines.  A  new  and  terrible  cause 
of  disaster  had  already  made  its  appearance.  Before 
the  close  of  April  the  scurvy,  formerly  the  terror 


80  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

and  scourge  of  voyagers,  had  spread  to  such  a  degree 
that  in  the  '  Centurion  '  alone  few  on  board  were 
not  in  some  degree  afflicted  with  it,  and  before  the 
end  of  April  forty-three  died  of  it.  In  the  month 
of  May  nearly  double  that  number  perished,  and  the 
mortality  went  on  increasing  till  the  middle  of  June, 
when  the  deaths  were  over  two  hundred  men,  and 
at  last  not  more  than  six  fore-mast  men  in  a  watch 
mustered  capable  of  duty. 

The  symptoms  of  this  disease  are  well  known  : 
extraordinary  weakness  and  lassitude  of  the  whole 
system,  and  dejection  of  mind  ;  swellings  of  the  legs, 
often  running  to  ulcerous  sores  ;  putrid  gums,  and 
coloured  spots  on  the  skin  ;  and  various  symptoms  in 
particular  cases — rheumatism,  jaundice,  costiveness, 
and  difficulty  of  breathing.  A  remarkable  case  was 
that  of  one  of  the  old  Chelsea  pensioners,  who  had 
been  wounded  fifty  years  before  at  the  battle  of  the 
Boyne  ;  his  wounds,  which  had  been  perfectly  healed, 
broke  out  afresh.  The  appetite  was  not  generally 
lost,  and  some  appeared  in  good  health  as  they  lay 
in  their  hammocks,  so  far  as  voice  and  looks  went ; 
but  they  were  incapable  of  any  exertion,  and  many 
died  almost  suddenly  after  attempts  to  walk  the 
deck  or  perform  any  duty. 

On  the  8th  of  May  the  '  Centurion '  was  off  the 
island  of  Socoro,  which  was  the  first  place  of  ren- 
dezvous that  had  been  fixed,  off  which  the  Com- 
modore cruised  for   several  days   in  hope  of  being 


TO  JUAN  FERNANDEZ.  81 

joined  by  other  ships  of  the  squadron.  But  none 
came ;  and  the  coast  being  inhospitable,  and  the 
shore  precipitous  with  rocks,  Anson  thought  it 
dangerous  to  tarry  longer,  in  case  of  wind  rising 
by  which  they  might  be  wrecked,  when  so  few  men 
were  fit  for  duty.  As  they  proceeded,  in  passing 
the  island  of  Chiloe  they  steered  off  the  land  with 
the  main-sail  only,  the  Commodore  and  the  master 
at  the  helm,  while  every  one  else  on  board  was 
busied  in  securing  the  masts  and  bending  the  sails 
as  soon  as  they  could  be  repaired.  This  deplorable 
condition  of  affairs  left  no  alternative  but  starting 
for  Juan  Fernandez,  disregarding  the  late  arrange- 
ment of  rendezvousing  off  the  harbour  of  Baldivia. 
As  the  other  ships  had  failed  to  appear  at  Socoro, 
it  was  possible  that  some  might  be  found  at  Juan 
Fernandez,  though  the  Commodore  had  his  fears 
that  all  but  those  in  the  '  Centurion '  had  perished. 

On  May  30th  a  view  was  obtained  of  the  main- 
land of  Chili,  distant  about  twelve  or  thirteen  leagues, 
with  the  tops  of  mountains,  the  Cordilleras,  white  with 
snow.  It  was  not  till  the  9th  June  that  the  long- 
wished-for  island  of  Juan  Fernandez  was  sighted,  so 
much  were  they  delayed  by  calms  and  by  contrary 
winds.  It  was  high  time  for  change  of  any  kind,  for 
the  men  were  dying  five  or  six  in  a  day,  and  the 
crew  was  so  generally  helpless  that  not  above  ten 
men  in  a  watch  were  fit  for  duty,  and  of  these  some 
so  lame  and  weak  as  to  be  unable  to  go  aloft. 

6 


CHAPTER    X. 

AT  JUAN   FERNANDEZ. 

r  I  AHE  first  aspect  of  the  island  was  not  promising, 
■*■  for  it  seemed  a  very  mountainous  place,  ex- 
tremely ragged  and  irregular  ;  yet  as  it  was  land,  and 
the  land  sought  for,  the  sight  was  agreeable  to  all 
on  board  the  '  Centurion.'  The  wind  was  northerly 
when  they  first  made  the  island,  and  they  kept 
flying  all  that  day  (the  9th  of  June)  and  the  next 
night,  in  order  to  get  in  with  the  land.  Wearing 
the  ship  in  the  middle  watch,  a  striking  proof  was 
given  of  the  almost  incredible  debility  to  which 
those  on  board  had  fallen,  for  the  lieutenant  could 
muster  no  more  than  two  quartermasters  and  six 
fore-mast  men  capable  of  working,  so  that  without 
the  assistance  of  the  officers,  their  servants,  and  the 
boys  it  might  have  proved  impossible  to  have 
reached  the  island,  after  getting  sight  of  it.  Even 
with  this  assistance  they  were  two  hours  in  trimming 
the  sails  ;  to  so  wretched  a  condition  was  a  sixty- 
gun  ship  reduced  which,  but  three  months  before, 
had  between  four  and  five  hundred  men,  most  of 
them  in  health  and  vigour. 


AT  JUAN  FERNANDEZ.  83 

However,  on  the  10th,  in  the  afternoon,  they  got 
under  the  lee  of  the  island,  and  kept  ranging  along 
it,  at  about  two  miles  distance,  in  order  to  look  out 
for  the  proper  anchorage,  which  was  described  to  be 
in  a  bay  on  the  north  side.  A  nearer  view  of  the 
land,  which  had  appeared  at  a  distance  so  un- 
promising, with  broken  craggy,  precipices,  showed  it 
to  be  covered  with  woods  ;  and  between  the  hills 
were  valleys  clothed  with  the  most  beautiful  verdure, 
and  watered  with  numerous  streams  and  cascades. 
As  the  allowance  of  water  on  board  had  for  a 
considerable  time  been  very  sparing,  and  only  a  small 
quantity  now  remained,  the  sight  of  the  falling  and 
flowing  streams,  especially  a  large  cascade  of  clear 
water  pouring  itself  from  a  rock  nearly  a  hundred 
feet  high,  not  far  from  the  ship,  caused  lively  emo- 
tion ;  even  the  sick  crawling  from  their  hammocks 
to  the  deck  to  feast  their  eyes  on  the  reviving 
prospect.  Darkness  came  on  before  they  were  sure 
of  the  proper  bay  for  anchorage,  and  therefore  they 
resolved  to  keep  all  night  in  soundings,  and  to  send 
a  boat  in  the  morning  to  discover  the  right  place. 
However,  the  current  shifted  in  the  night,  and  set 
them  so  near  land  that  they  let  go  the  best  bower 
anchor,  in  fifty-six  fathom,  not  half  a  mile  from  the 
shore. 

At  four  in  the  morning  the  cutter  was  sent  with 
the  third  lieutenant  to  find  the  bay  they  were  in 
search  of,  which  was  somewhat  to  the  westward  of 


'«  * 


84  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

their  present  station.  Next  morning  they  endea- 
voured to  weigh,  in  order  to  proceed  thither,  but  the 
capstan  could  only  be  so  weakly  manned  that  it  was 
not  till  after  four  hours  the  cable  was  hove  right  up 
and  down,  and  then  they  were  incapable  of  starting 
the  anchor  from  the  ground.  At  noon,  a  fresh  gale 
blowing  toward  the  bay,  the  sails  were  set,  which 
fortunately  tripped  the  anchor,  and  they  were  en- 
abled to  get  to  their  desired  berth,  again  anchoring 
in  fifty-six  fathom. 

Soon  after  a  sail  was  seen,  which  on  nearer 
approach  proved  to  be  the  '  Tryal '  sloop.  Some 
hands  were  sent  to  help  her,  and  she  was  brought 
to  anchor  between  the  '  Centurion  '  and  the  shore. 
The  sloop  had  suffered  the  same  extremities  as  the 
Commodore's  ship,  for  Captain  Saunders  reported 
that  he  had  lost  thirty-four  of  his  men,  and  all  the 
others  were  so  afflicted  with  scurvy  that  only  him- 
self, his  lieutenant,  and  three  of  his  men  were  able 
to  stand  by  the  sails.  Materials  were  promptly 
sent  on  shore  to  raise  tents  for  the  reception  of 
the  sick  ;  which,  from  the  few  hands  capable 
of  work,  could  not  be  completed  till  the  morning  of 
the  1 6th.  On  that,  and  the  two  following  days,  all 
the  sick  were  sent  on  shore,  amounting  to  a  hundred 
and  sixty-seven  persons,  besides  twelve  or  fourteen 
who  died  in  the  boats  or  on  landing,  through  the 
exposure  to  the  fresh  air  in  their  terribly  infirm 
condition.     Many  of  the  sick  had  to  be  carried  from 


AT  JUAN  FERNANDEZ.  85 

the  ship,  and  from  the  shore  to  the  tents,  in  their 
hammocks,  no  slight  labour  over  the  shingly  beach. 
The  Commodore  himself  and  the  officers  gave  a 
helping  hand  in  this  humane  service.  It  was  not  till 
nearly  three  weeks  after  the  landing  of  the  sick  that 
there  appeared  much  abatement  of  the  malady. 
For  the  first  ten  or  twelve  days  rarely  were  fewer 
than  six  buried,  and  the  invalids  only  recovered 
health  and  strength  very  slowly. 

The  island  of  Juan  Fernandez  has  so  often  been 
described,  and  has  become  so  familiar  from  the 
reports  of  many  voyagers,  that  it  is  not  necessary  to 
give  the  full  details  which  appear  in  the  narrative 
of  Anson's  voyage,  which  was  written  for  the  in- 
formation of  those  who  might  in  those  early  times 
visit  the  place.  It  may  be  interesting,  however,  for 
comparison  with  the  more  recent  accounts,  to  give 
the  substance  of  the  observations  made  by  the  com- 
mander and  officers  of  the  '  Centurion '  during  their 
stay  there  in  1 741. 

This  island  lies  in  latitude  330  40'  south,  and  is 
1 10  leagues  distant  from  the  mainland  of  Chili. 
In  greatest  length  its  extent  is  between  four  and 
five  leagues,  and  its  greatest  breadth  somewhat  less 
than  two  leagues.  The  only  safe  place  of  anchorage 
is  on  the  north  side,  where  there  are  three  bays,  the 
central  one,  Cumberland  Bay,  being  the  best  in  all 
respects.  It  is  well  sheltered  to  the  southward, 
and    only  exposed  to   winds    from  the  N.   by  W. 


86  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

to  E.  by  S.,  and  these  winds  blow  comparatively 
seldom,  and  never  with  great  violence. 

The  northern  part  of  the  island  is  composed  of 
high  craggy  hills,  many  of  them  inaccessible,  though 
for  the  most  part  covered  with  trees.  Many  of  these 
were  aromatic,  and  large  '  myrtle  trees  '  are  described, 
but  there  does  not  appear  to  have  been  any  one 
with  accurate  botanical  knowledge  in  the  squadron. 
Pimento  trees  and  cabbage  trees  are  spoken  of  as 
plentiful,  and  vast  profusion  of  turnips  and  '  Sicilian 
radishes,'  which  were  very  serviceable  to  those  who 
had  been  weakened  by  scurvy.  The  Commodore, 
having  with  him  garden  seeds  of  all  sorts,  and  stones 
of  various  fruits,  planted  them  freely,  especially  plums, 
peaches,  and  apricots,  for  his  thoughtfulness  in  doing 
which  he  more  than  once  in  after  life  received 
warmest  thanks  from  persons  of  different  nations 
who  reaped  the  benefit. 

Of  the  inland  parts  of  the  island  the  most  vivid 
accounts  are  given  in  the  narrative  of  the  chaplain, 
or  whoever  wrote  that  volume.  He  says  :  '  Some 
particular  spots  in  these  valleys,  where  the  shade 
and  fragrance  of  the  contiguous  woods,  the  loftiness 
of  the  overhanging  rocks,  and  the  transparency  and 
frequent  falls  of  the  neighbouring  streams,  presented 
scenes  of  such  elegance  and  dignity  as  would  with 
difficulty  be  rivalled  in  any  other  part  of  the  globe. 
It  is  in  this  place,  perhaps,  that  the  simple  produc- 
tions of  nature  may  be  said  to  excel  all  the  fictitious 


AT  JUAN  FERNANDEZ.  87 

descriptions  of  the  most  animated  imagination.' 
Then  he  describes  in  glowing  words  the  place  where 
the  Commodore  pitched  his  tent  for  his  own  resi- 
dence, though,  he  says,  he  despairs  of  conveying  an 
adequate  idea  of  its  beauty. 

'  The  piece  of  ground  which  he  chose  was  a  small 
lawn,  that  lay  on  a  little  ascent,  at  the  distance  of 
about  half  a  mile  from  the  sea.  In  the  front  of  his 
tent  there  was  a  large  avenue  cut  through  the  woods 
to  the  seaside,  which,  sloping  to  the  water  with  a 
gentle  descent,  opened  a  prospect  of  the  bay  and 
the  ships  at  anchor.  This  lawn  was  screened  behind 
by  a  tall  wood  of  myrtle  sweeping  round  it,  in  form  of 
an  amphitheatre,  the  slope  on  which  the  wood  stood 
rising  with  a  much  sharper  ascent  than  the  lawn 
itself,  though  not  so  much  but  that  the  hills  and 
precipices  inland  towered  considerably  above  the 
tops  of  the  trees,  and  added  to  the  grandeur  of  the 
view.  There  were,  besides,  two  streams  of  crystal 
water,  which  ran  on  the  right  and  left  of  the  tent 
within  a  hundred  yards  distance,  and  were  shaded 
by  the  trees  which  skirted  the  lawn  on  either  side, 
and  completed  the  symmetry  of  the  whole.' 

The  Commodore  was  certainly  fixed  in  pleasant 
quarters,  and  must  have  thoroughly  enjoyed  the  rest 
of  such  a  place  after  the  stormy  months  of  the 
voyage,  but  that  his  mind  was  anxious  about  the 
condition  of  the  men,  so  many  of  whom  were  sick 
and  infirm.     There  was  anxiety  also  about  the  fate 


88  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

of  the  other  ships  of  the  squadron.  The  arrival  of 
the  '  Tryal '  sloop  so  soon  after  the  '  Centurion ' 
raised  hope  that  they  might  be  speedily  joined  by 
other  ships.  But  when  a  fortnight  passed  without 
any  of  them  appearing,  gloomy  anticipations  gained 
strength,  and  the  most  sanguine  despaired  of  the 
safety  of  the  squadron,  on  reflecting  how  few  men 
in  the  '  Tryal '  and  the  '  Centurion  '  could  have  sur- 
vived if  these  ships  had  continued  much  longer  at 
sea.  Happily,  these  fears  in  their  full  extent  were 
not  realised  ;  but  before  telling  of  the  events  soon 
to  be  witnessed  let  us  note  a  few  more  of  the 
observations  made  concerning  the  condition  of  the 
island. 

Of  the  vegetation  some  account  has  already  been 
given.  The  bay  in  which  the  ships  were  anchored 
was  plentifully  stored  with  fish  of  the  greatest 
variety,  which  they  caught  with  hooks  and  lines. 
The  names  given  in  the  narrative  do  not  give  accu- 
rate ideas  as  to  the  species  as  classed  by  naturalists, 
for  it  is  only  generally  said  that  the  following  sorts 
were  caught :  cavallies,  large  breams,  gropers,  silver 
fish,  congers,  and  a  black  fish  resembling  carp,  which 
the  sailors  named  chimney-sweeps.  But  the  finest 
catch  was  cod  of  prodigious  size,  of  which  one  of 
the  seamen,  who  had  been  employed  in  the  New- 
foundland fishery,  said  he  never  saw  surpassed  in 
those  northern  seas.  So  plentiful  were  the  fish  of 
various  kinds   that  a  boat  going  out  with   two   or 


A I  JUAN  FERNANDEZ.  89 

three  lines  usually  returned  laden  in  three  or  four 
hours'  time.  The  only  interruption  was  from  the 
large  sharks  and  the  numerous  dog-fish,  which  fol- 
lowed the  boats  and  hindered  the  sport.  The  cray- 
fish were  of  unusual  size  and  in  great  abundance,  so 
much  so  that  the  boat-hooks,  in  putting  the  boats 
to  or  from  the  shore,  often  struck  into  them,  weigh- 
ing eight  or  nine  pounds,  and  of  a  most  excellent 
taste. 

Few  birds  were  seen,  chiefly  hawks,  blackbirds, 
owls,  and  humming-birds.  Nor  was  the  variety 
great  of  animal  life.  Of  the  burrowing  animal 
called  pardalon  by  old  voyagers  none  were  seen, 
but  as  they  often  met  with  their  holes  in  the  earth 
it  was  supposed  that  the  multitude  of  dogs  had 
destroyed  them,  as  they  had  also  destroyed  nearly 
all  the  cats.  Rats  kept  their  ground,  and  were 
troublesome  by  infesting  the  tents  at  night. 

But  the  most  important  animals  then  inhabiting 
Juan  Fernandez  were  goats,  seals,  and  sea-lions. 
The  latter  were  often  of  enormous  size,  when  full 
grown  as  much  as  from  twelve  to  fifteen  feet  long 
and  eight  to  twelve  in  girth.  The  fat  of  one  of  the 
largest  might  afford  a  butt  of  oil ;  and  they  were 
so  full  of  blood  that  the  quantity  being  once 
measured  was  at  least  two  hogsheads.  We  are 
told  also  of  the  appearance  and  the  habits  of  these 
huge  animals, — the  fierce  battles  of  the  males,  each 
of  which  was  the  possessor  of  a  seraglio  of  females  ; 


go  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

and  one  of  the  largest  and  fiercest  of  these,  who 
bore  the  marks  of  having  attained  his  pre-eminence 
after  many  conflicts  with  rivals,  was  named  by  the 
sailors  the  Bashaw.  The  seal-like  flavour  of  the 
flesh  of  these  mammals  was  not  much  relished,  but 
hearts  and  tongues  were  pronounced  as  good  eating 
as  the  same  portions  of  fat  bullocks. 

The  sailors  came  to  like  the  flesh  of  the  common 
seal,  and  called  it  lamb,  though  this  taste  was  not 
decidedly  formed  till  they  began  to  tire  of  fish  diet 
without  change. 

Goat's  flesh  was  the  favourite  food,  but  it  was 
then  so  scarce  that  they  were  rarely  able  to  kill 
more  than  one  goat  a  day.  Former  writers  described 
the  vast  numbers  of  goats  found  on  the  island,  but 
at  the  time  of  Anson's  visit  they  had  been  greatly 
diminished.  For  the  Spaniards,  being  informed  of 
the  advantages  which  buccaneers  and  privateers 
drew  from  the  provisions  which  the  goats  furnished 
so  abundantly,  endeavoured  to  extirpate  the  breed 
by  putting  on  shore  large  numbers  of  dogs.  These 
increased  rapidly,  and  soon  destroyed  all  the  goats 
in  the  accessible  parts  of  the  island,  only  a  few 
remaining  amongst  the  crags  and  precipices  where 
the  dogs  could  not  follow  them.  Anson  estimated 
that  not  above  two  hundred  survived  upon  the  whole 
island,  and  these  being  divided  into  separate  herds 
of  twenty  or  thirty  each,  inhabiting  different  fast- 
nesses, it  was  extremely  difficult  to  kill  any,  though 


AT  JUAN  FERNANDEZ.  91 

the  flesh  was  so  much  coveted  as  resembling  venison. 
One  day  some  of  the  people  of  the  '  Centurion,'  from 
a  boat  near  land,  witnessed  a  remarkable  scene.  A 
herd  of  goats  were  seen  on  the  rocky  ridge  of  a  hill, 
up  which  they  had  been  chased  by  a  number  of 
dogs.  There  was  a  very  narrow  path  or  space  on  the 
ridge,  skirted  on  both  sides  by  precipices.  Here 
the  leader  of  the  herd  took  up  his  position,  fronting 
the  advancing  enemy,  the  rest  of  the  herd  behind, 
where  the  ridge  was  less  narrow.  As  the  spot  was 
inaccessible  by  any  other  path  than  where  this 
champion  had  placed  himself,  the  dogs,  although 
they  had  run  up  the  hill  with  great  alacrity,  yet 
when  they  came  within  twenty  yards  of  him  durst 
not  advance  farther,  as  he  would  certainly  have 
driven  them  over  the  precipice  ;  so  they  gave  over 
the  chase  and  lay  quietly  down,  panting  after  their 
race.  So  numerous  had  the  dogs  become  compared 
with  the  goats  that  it  was  concluded  they  must  live 
principally  on  young  seals.  Some  of  the  sailors, 
who  had  heard  of  dog's  flesh  being  a  delicacy  in 
some  parts  of  the  world,  more  than  once  killed  and 
dressed  dogs,  and  agreed  that  the  meat  had  a  fishy 
taste,  which  accords  with  the  belief  that  they  fed  on 
seals'  flesh. 

The  most  interesting  of  all  the  facts  connected 
with  the  goats  of  Juan  Fernandez  in  Anson's  time 
remains  to  be  mentioned.  It  so  happened  that  the 
very  first  goat  killed  by  his  people  had  his  ears  slit, 


92  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

whence  the  Commodore  concluded  that  this  was  one 
of  the  goats  that  had  been  thus  marked  by  Alexander 
Selkirk,  about  thirty  two  years  before  their  arrival 
at  the  island.  This  was  indeed  an  animal  of  a  most 
venerable  aspect,  dignified  with  an  exceeding  majestic 
beard,  and  with  every  other  sign  of  antiquity 
During  their  stay  other  goats  were  met  with  marked 
in  the  same  manner,  all  of  them  with  venerable 
beards,  denoting  their  great  age. 


CHAPTER    XI. 

ABOUT  ALEXANDER    SELKIRK 

'HPHE  story  of  Selkirk  was  familiar  to  the  officers 
-*-  of  the  '  Centurion,'  for  the  Commodore  had  an 
old  book,  printed  in  London  in  the  year  171 2,  con- 
taining an  account  of  the  visit  of  Captain  Woods 
Rogers  to  the  island  more  than  thirty  years  before, 
in  the  days  of  Queen  Anne.  This  Captain  Woods 
Rogers  was  commander  of  two  British  vessels,  the 
'  Duke  '  and  the  '  Duchess,'  fitted  out  as  privateers 
by  a  company  of  merchants  in  the  city  of  Bristol, 
then  the  most  flourishing  and  enterprising  seaport 
in  England,  or  perhaps  in  the  world.  It  was  in  the 
autumn  of  1708  that  Captain  Rogers  sailed  from 
Bristol,  with  his  two  small  ships,  the  '  Duke '  being 
only  of  320  tons,  with  30  guns  and  117  men,  and 
the  'Duchess'  260  tons,  with  26  guns  and  108 
men.  The  captain,  '  master  mariner '  as  he  styles 
himself,  calls  his  ships  '  galleys,'  so  named  from  their 
resembling  the  galleys  of  the  ancients,  and  of  modern 
times,  in  their  having  oars,  or  sweeps,  to  use  during 
calm   weather.     There  was  war  at  that   time  with 


94  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

France,  and  the  voyage  of  these  two  privateers  was 
in  fact  a  cruise  against  the  enemy  wherever  his  ships 
might  be  found.  The  commander  of  the  '  Duchess ' 
was  Captain  Courtenay,  a  man  of  kindred  spirit  with 
Rogers.  The  second  officer  of  the  '  Duke/  and 
captain  of  the  marines,  was  Thomas  Dover,  a  '  doctor 
of  physic,'  and  Dover's  first  lieutenant  was  a  kinsman 
of  his  own,  Mr.  Hopkins,  an  apothecary.  Captain 
Rogers,  who  in  all  his  preparations  and  arrangements 
showed  great  prudence,  took  twice  as  many  officers 
as  usual  in  such  expeditions,  doing  this  to  strengthen 
his  own  authority  in  case  of  any  mutiny  among  the 
crew.  The  most  notable  person  on  board  his  ship 
was  the  famous  Captain  William  Dampier,  whom 
he  had  the  good  luck  to  secure  as  master,  the  old 
sailor  and  '  buccaneer '  not  having  made  a  fortune 
in  all  his  varied  voyages  and  adventures.  He  was 
rated  on  the  '  Duke's '  books  as  '  Pilot  of  the  South 
Seas,'  '  he  having  been  there,'  as  Captain  Rogers  says, 
'  three  times,  and  twice  round  the  world.'  This 
was  probably  Dampier's  last  voyage,  for  his  name 
disappears  from  naval  history  after  this  time. 

Captain  Woods  Rogers  made  his  voyage  'round 
the  world '  in  about  two  years  and  three  months. 
His  journal  is  of  the  greatest  interest,  and  worthy 
of  being  better  known  than  it  is.  For  those  who 
have  not  access  to  the  old  book,  a  valuable  account 
of  the  voyage,  consisting  mostly  of  the  very  narra- 
tive of  the  original,  has  been  recently  published,  with 


ABOUT  ALEXANDER   SELKIRK.  95 

notes  and  splendid  illustrations,  by  Robert  C.  Leslie 
(Chapman  &  Hall).  But  the  most  interesting  pages 
in  the  old  book  of  Captain  Rogers  relate  to  the 
island  of  Juan  Fernandez,  and  what  he  records 
about  the  finding  there  of  Alexander  Selkirk,  upon 
whose  story  Defoe  founded  '  The  Life  and  Surprising 
Adventures  of  Robinson  Crusoe.'  Captain  Rogers 
had  encountered  stormy  seas  in  getting  round  Cape 
Horn,  many  of  the  men  being  ill  through  exposure 
to  the  cold  and  heat,  and  they  were  greatly  in  want 
of  a  harbour  to  rest  and  restore  them.  So  the 
captain  resolved  to  make  for  Juan  Fernandez. 
The  latitude  not  being  very  certain,  and  the  charts 
not  helping,  from  their  not  agreeing  with  each 
other,  they  made  for  the  mainland,  to  direct  the 
course  from  thence  more  easily. 

Early  in  the  morning  of  January  31st,  1709,  the 
island  was  sighted,  bearing  W.S.W.,  distant  about 
seven  leagues. 

'  Next  day,'  says  Rogers,  '  we  hoisted  our  pinnace 
out,  at  2  P.M.,  and  Captain  Dover,  with  the  boat's  crew, 
went  in  her  to  go  ashore,  though  we  could  not  be  less 
than  four  leagues  off.  As  soon  as  it  was  dark  we  saw 
from  the  ship  a  light  ashore,  and  our  boat,  being  then 
about  a  league  from  the  island,  bore  away  for  the 
ships  where  she  saw  the  light,  and  we  put  lights  out 
for  the  boat,  though  some  were  of  opinion  the  light 
we  saw  from  the  ship  was  that  of  our  boat.  But 
as  night  came  on  it  appeared  too  large  for  that.     So 


g6  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

we  fired  one  quarter-deck  gun  and  several  muskets, 
showing  lights  in  our  shrouds,  that  our  boat  might 
find  us,  while  we  plied  in  the  lee  of  the  island. 

'About  two  in  the  morning  our  boat  came  on 
board,  having  been  in  tow  of  the  "  Duchess,"  and  we 
were  glad  they  got  well  off,  because  it  began  to 
blow.  We  were  all  convinced  this  light  was  on 
shore,  and  we  designed  to  make  our  ships  ready  to 
engage,  believing  them  to  be  French  ships,  which 
we  must  either  fight,  or  not  be  able  to  get  water  and 
what  we  wanted  on  shore.  The  next  morning  we 
tacked,  to  lay  the  land  close  aboard,  and  about  ten 
opened  the  south  part  of  the  island  ;  here  the  flaws 
came  heavy  off  shore,  and  we  were  forced  to  reef  our 
topsails.  When,  we  opened  the  middle  bay,  where 
we  expected  to  find  our  enemy,  we  saw  all  clear, 
and  no  ships  in  that  nor  the  next  bay,  though  we 
guessed  there  had  been  ships  there  but  were  gone 
on  sight  of  us. 

'  About  noon  we  sent  our  yawl  ashore  with 
Captain  Dover,  Mr.  Fry,  and  six  men,  all  armed  ; 
meanwhile  we  and  the  "  Duchess  "  kept  turning  to 
get  in,  and  such  heavy  flaws  came  off  the  island 
that  we  were  forced  to  let  fly  our  topsail  sheets, 
keeping  all  hands  to  stand  by  our  sails  for  fear  of 
the  winds  carrying  them  away,  though  when  the 
flaws  (gusts)  were  gone  we  had  little  or  no  wind. 
Our  boat  not  returning  we  sent  our  pinnace,  also 
armed,  to  see  what  was  the  occasion  of  the  yawl's 


ABOUT  ALEXANDER  SELKIRK.  97 

stay ;  for  we  were  afraid  that  the  Spaniards  had  a 
garrison  there,  and  might  have  seized  them.  We 
put  out  a  signal,  and  the  "  Duchess "  showed  a 
French  ensign.  Immediately  our  pinnace  returned 
from  the  shore,  and  brought  abundance  of  craw-fish, 
— with  a  man  clothed  in  goat-skins,  who  looked 
wilder  than  the  first  owners  of  the  skins.  He  had 
been  on  the  island  four  years  and  four  months,  being 
left  there  by  Captain  Stradling,  of  the  ship  "  Cinque 
Ports."  His  name  was  Alexander  Selkirk,  a  Scotch- 
man, who  had  been  master  of  the  "  Cinque  Ports,"  a 
ship  that  came  here  last  with  Captain  Dampier, 
who  told  me  this  was  the  best  man  in  her  ;  so  I 
immediately  agreed  with  him  to  be  mate  on  board 
our  ship. 

4  'Twas  he  who  made  the  fire  last  night  when 
he  saw  our  ships,  which  he  judged  to  be  English. 
During  his  stay  here  he  had  seen  several  ships  pass, 
but  only  two  came  to  anchor,  which  as  he  went  to 
view  he  found  to  be  Spanish,  and  retired  from  them, 
upon  which  they  shot  at  him.  Had  they  been 
French  he  would  have  submitted,  but  chose  to  risk 
dying  alone  in  the  island  rather  than  fall  into  the 
hands  of  the  Spaniards  in  these  parts,  lest  they 
should  murder  him,  or  make  a  slave  of  him  in  the 
mines  ;  for  he  feared  they  would  spare  no  stranger 
that  might  be  capable  of  discovering  the  South  Sea. 
The  Spaniards,  he  said,  had  landed  before  he  knew 
what  they  were,  and  came  so  near  him  that  he  had 

7 


FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 


much  ado  to  escape  ;  for  they  not  only  shot  at  him, 
but  pursued  him  into  the  woods,  when  he  climbed 
a  tree,  at  the  foot  of  which  they  stopped  and  killed 
several  goats  just  by,  but  went  off  again  without 
discovering  him.  He  told  us  he  was  born  at  Largs, 
in  the  County  of  Fife,  Scotland,  and  was  bred  a 
sailor  from  his  youth.  The  reason  of  his  being  left 
there  was  a  difference  betwixt  him  and  his  captain. 
When  left,  he  had  with  him  his  clothes  and  bedding, 
with  a  firelock,  some  powder,  bullets,  and  tobacco, 
a  hatchet,  a  knife,  a  kettle,  a  Bible,  some  practical 
pieces,  and  his  mathematical  instruments  and  books. 

'  He  diverted  himself  and  provided  for  himself 
as  well  as  he  could  ;  but  yet  the  first  eight  months 
had  much  ado  to  bear  up  against  melancholy,  and 
the  terror  of  being  alone  in  such  a  desolate  place. 
He  built  two  huts  with  pimento  trees,  covered  them 
with  long  grass,  and  lined  them  with  the  skins  of 
goats,  which  he  killed  with  his  gun  as  he  wanted,  so 
long  as  his  powder  lasted,  which  was  but  a  pound  ; 
and  that  being  near  spent,  he  got  fire  by  rubbing 
two  sticks  of  pimento  wood  together  on  his  knees. 
In  the  lesser  hut,  at  some  distance  from  the  other, 
he  dressed  his  victuals,  and  in  the  larger  he  slept, 
and  employed  himself  in  reading,  singing  psalms,  and 
praying,  so  that  he  said  he  was  a  better  Christian 
while  in  this  solitude  than  ever  he  was  before,  or 
than  he  was  afraid  he  should  ever  be  again. 

•  At  first  he  never  ate  anything  till  hunger  con- 


ABOUT  ALEXANDER  SELKIRK.  99 

strained  him  ;  partly  from  grief,  and  partly  for  want 
of  bread  and  salt  ;  nor  did  he  go  to  bed  till  he 
could  watch  no  longer.  The  pimento  wood,  which 
burnt  very  clear,  served  him  both  for  fire  and  candle, 
and  refreshed  him  with  its  pleasant  smell.  He 
might  have  fish  enough,  but  could  not  eat  them  for 
want  of  salt ;  they  made  him  ill,  except  craw-fish, 
which  are  there  as  large  as  lobsters,  and  very  good. 
These  he  sometimes  boiled,  and  at  others  broiled, 
as  he  did  the  goat's  flesh,  of  which  he  made  very 
good  broth,  for  they  are  not  so  rank  as  ours. 

1  He  kept  an  account  of  five  hundred  that  he  killed 
when  there,  and  caught  as  many  more,  which  he 
marked  on  the  ear  and  let  go.  When  his  powder 
failed  he  took  them  by  speed  of  foot ;  for  his  way 
of  living,  and  continued  exercise  of  walking  and 
running,  cleared  him  of  all  gross  humours,  so  that 
he  ran  up  the  rocks  and  hills,  as  we  perceived  when 
we  employed  him  to  catch  goats  for  us.  We  had 
a  bull-dog,  which  we  sent  with  several  of  our 
nimblest  runners  to  help  him  to  catch  goats  ;  but 
he  distanced  and  tired  both  the  dog  and  men, 
catched  the  goats,  and  brought  them  to  us  on  his 
back.  He  told  us  that  his  agility  in  pursuing  a 
goat  had  once  like  to  have  cost  him  his  life.  He 
pursued  it  with  so  much  earnestness  that  he  catched 
hold  of  it  on  the  brink  of  a  precipice  hidden  by 
some  bushes,  so  that  he  fell  with  the  goat  down  the 
said   precipice  a  great  height,  and  was  so  stunned 


ioo  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 


and  bruised  that  he  narrowly  escaped  with  his  life, 
and  when  he  came  to  his  senses  found  the  goat  dead 
under  him.  He  lay  there  about  twenty-four  hours, 
and  was  scarce  able  to  crawl  to  his  hut  a  mile 
distant,  or  to  stir  abroad  again  in  ten  days. 

'  After  a  while  he  came  to  relish  his  meat  well 
enough  without  salt  and  bread,  and  in  the  season 
had  plenty  of  good  turnips,  which  had  been  sown 
there  by  Captain  Dampier's  men,  and  had  over- 
spread some  acres  of  ground.  He  had  enough  of 
good  cabbage  from  the  cabbage  tree,  and  seasoned 
his  meat  with  the  fruit  of  the  pimento  tree,  which 
is  the  same  as  the  Jamaica  pepper,  and  smells 
deliciously.  He  soon  wore  out  all  his  shoes  and 
clothing  by  running  through  the  woods  ;  and  at  last, 
being  forced  to  shift  without  them,  his  feet  became 
so  hard  that  he  could  run  everywhere  without  annoy- 
ance, and  it  was  some  time  before  he  could  wear 
shoes  after  we  found  him.  For,  not  being  used  to 
any  for  so  long,  his  feet  swelled  when  he  first  came 
to  wear  them. 

'  After  he  conquered  his  melancholy  he  diverted 
himself  sometimes  by  cutting  his  name  on  the  trees, 
and  the  time  of  his  being  left  and  continuance  there. 
He  was  at  first  much  pestered  with  cats  and  rats, 
that  bred  in  great  numbers  from  some  of  each 
species  which  had  got  ashore  from  ships  that  put 
in  there  for  wood  and  water.  The  rats  gnawed  his 
feet  and  clothes  when  asleep,  which  obliged  him  to 


ABOUT  ALEXANDER  SELKIRK.  101 

cherish  the  cats  with  goat's  flesh  ;  by  which  many 
of  them  became  so  tame  that  they  would  lie  about 
him  in  scores,  and  soon  delivered  him  of  the  rats. 

'  He  likewise  tamed  some  kids,  and  to  divert  him- 
self would  now  and  then  sing  and  dance  with  them 
and  his  cats  ;  so  that  by  the  care  of  Providence,  and 
vigour  of  his  youth,  he  came  at  last  to  conquer  all 
the  inconveniences  of  his  solitude  and  to  be  very 
easy.  When  his  clothes  wore  out  he  made  himself 
a  coat  and  cap  of  goat-skins,  which  he  stitched 
together  with  little  thongs  of  the  same,  that  he  cut 
with  his  knife.  He  had  no  other  needle  but  a  nail, 
and  when  his  knife  was  worn  to  the  back  he  made 
others  as  well  as  he  could  of  iron  hoops  that  were 
left  ashore,  which  he  beat  thin  and  ground  upon 
stones.  Having  some  linen  cloth  by  him  he  sewed 
himself  shirts  with  a  nail,  and  stitched  them  with 
the  worsted  of  his  old  stockings,  which  he  pulled 
out  on  purpose.  He  had  his  last  shirt  on  when  we 
found  him. 

1  At  his  first  coming  on  board  us  he  had  so  much 
forgot  his  language  for  want  of  use  that  we  could 
scarce  understand  him,  for  he  seemed  to  speak  his 
words  by  halves.  We  offered  him  a  dram,  but  he 
could  not  touch  it,  having  drunk  nothing  but  water 
since  his  being  there,  and  it  was  some  time  before 
he  could  relish  our  victuals.  He  could  give  us 
account  of  no  other  product  of  the  island  except 
some  small  black  plums,  which  are  very  good,  but 


FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 


hard  to  come  at,  the  trees  which  bear  them  growing 
on  high  mountains  and  rocks.  The  climate  is  so 
good  that  the  trees  and  grass  are  verdant  all  the 
year.  He  saw  no  venomous  or  savage  creature,  nor 
any  sort  of  beast  but  goats  on  the  island,  the 
first  of  these  having  been  put  ashore  here,  on  purpose 
for  a  breed,  by  Juan  Fernandez,  a  Spaniard,  who 
settled  there  with  some  families  till  the  continent 
of  Chili  began  to  submit  to  the  Spaniards,  which 
tempted  them  to  quit  this  island,  though  capable  of 
maintaining  a  number  of  people,  and  of  being  made 
so  strong  that  they  could  not  easily  be  dislodged. 

1  Ringrose,  in  his  account  of  Captain  Sharp's 
voyage,  and  other  buccaneers,  mentions  one  who 
had  escaped  ashore  here  out  of  a  ship,  which  was 
cast  away  with  her  company,  and  says  that  he  lived 
five  years  alone  before  he  had  an  opportunity  of 
another  ship  to  carry  him  off.  While  Captain 
Dampier  talks  of  a  Mosquito  Indian  that  belonged 
to  Captain  Watkin,  who  being  a-hunting  in  the 
woods  when  the  captain  left  the  island,  lived  here 
three  years  alone,  and  shifted  much  as  Mr.  Selkirk 
did,  till  Captain  Dampier  came  hither  in  1684  and 
carried  him  off.  The  first  that  went  ashore  was  one 
of  his  countrymen,  and  they  saluted  one  another, 
first  by  prostrating  themselves  by  turns  on  the 
ground,  and  then  embracing. 

'  But  whatever  there  is  in  these  stories,  this  of 
Mr.  Selkirk  I  know  to  be  true,  and  his  behaviour 


ABOUT  ALEXANDER  SELKIRK.  103 

afterwards  gives  me  reason  to  believe  the  account 
he  gave  me  how  he  spent  his  time,  and  bore  up 
under  such  an  affliction,  in  which  nothing  but  the 
Divine  Providence  could  have  supported  any  man. 
And  by  this  we  may  see  that  solitude  and  retire- 
ment from  the  world  is  not  such  an  insufferable 
state  of  life  as  most  men  imagine,  especially  when 
people  are  fairly  called,  or  thrown  into  it  unavoid- 
ably, as  this  man  was,  who  in  all  probability  must 
otherwise  have  perished  in  the  seas,  the  ship  which 
he  left  being  cast  away  not  long  after,  when  few  of 
the  company  escaped.' 

More  about  Juan  Fernandez  is  written  by  Captain 
Rogers,  but  the  chief  interest  is  in  his  account  of  the 
finding  of  Selkirk. 


CHAPTER    XII. 

ABOUT   ROBINSON    CRUSOE,    AND    THE     SUBSE- 
QUENT HISTORY  OF  JUAN  FERNANDEZ. 

*  I  "HE  story  of  Robinson  Crusoe,  as  every  one 
■*•  knows,  was  suggested  by  the  perusal  of  the 
Journal  of  Captain  Rogers,  which  had  been  published 
about  seven  years  before  the  world-renowned  romance 
first  appeared.  The  discovery  of  the  Scotch  sailor, 
and  his  return  to  his  native  land,  made  great  noise 
at  the  time,  and  Defoe  took  note  of  facts  so  interest- 
ing, and  turned  them  to  good  account  in  that  story 
of  which  the  great  Dr.  Johnson  said  '  nobody  ever 
laid  it  down  without  wishing  it  were  longer.'  Every 
boy  reader  will  agree  in  this  opinion  with  the  most 
learned  of  critics.  Of  course  it  is  only  of  the 
original  story  that  this  is  truly  said,  because  the 
unparalleled  success  of  the  book  led  the  author  to 
write  a  second  and  a  third  part,  which  are  very 
inferior  in  merit  or  attractiveness.  The  skill  and 
genius  of  Defoe  appear  in  the  art  he  has  of  giving 
to  fiction  all  the  appearance  of  reality.  By  the 
minuteness  of  his  descriptions  he  is  prevented  from 


ABOUT  ROBINSON  CRUSOE.  105 

becoming  ever  tedious,  and  the  probability  of  the 
story  is  so  much  increased  thereby  that  many  have 
read  the  book  under  the  belief  that  it  was  a  true 
story,  and  not  a  tale.  It  can  be  called  '  fiction 
founded  on  fact,'  so  far  as  the  general  subject  of 
the  shipwreck,  the  solitary  survivor,  the  adventures 
of  the  early  years,  and  other  details  agree  with 
what  had  been  told  of  Alexander  Selkirk.  But 
Defoe  adds  many  new  romantic  chapters  out  of  his 
own  fancy,  and  he  makes  Robinson  Crusoe's  island 
not  Juan  Fernandez,  but  an  imaginary  island,  north 
of  Brazil,  near  the  mouth  of  the  river  Orinoco. 
This  does  not  matter  to  the  readers  of  the  story,  but 
our  present  concern  is  with  the  real  island  of  Juan 
Fernandez,  and  the  real  shipwrecked  sailor  Alexander 
Selkirk,  whose  actual  sea-chest,  drinking-cup,  and 
other  relics  are  now  to  be  seen  in  the  Museum  of  the 
Society  of  Antiquaries  at  Edinburgh. 

Although  the  connection  of  Alexander  Selkirk 
with  Commodore  Anson  merely  amounts  to  the 
fact  that  Anson  found  some  of  the  goats  which 
Selkirk  had  marked  many  years  before,  our  readers 
will  doubtless  be  pleased  to  have  a  few  more  facts 
both  about  the  island  and  its  solitary  tenant. 

When  Captain  Rogers  was  at  Juan  Fernandez, 
Selkirk  kept  up  a  supply  of  goats  for  the  ships,  two 
each  day.  It  was  some  time  before  he  got  accus- 
tomed again  to  the  speech,  and  the  diet,  and  the 
routine    of    life    on    board    ship.       He   had    drunk 


106  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

water  so  long  that  he  could  not  touch  spirits, 
and  it  was  only  by  degrees  that  he  could  relish 
the  food.  Dampier  confirmed  the  statement  of 
Selkirk  about  his  having  been  left  on  the  island, 
for  it  happened  during  his  own  famous  voyage, 
when  Captain  Stradling  of  the  '  Cinque  Ports  ' 
left  Selkirk  on  shore  in  consequence  of  a  quarrel 
between  them.  Dampier  also  told  Rogers  that 
Selkirk  was  the  best  man  on  board  the  '  Cinque 
Ports,'  and  it  was  from  this  testimony  that  he  was 
made  mate  of  the  '  Duke.'  Rogers  was  so  pleased 
with  him  that  he  promoted  him  to  take  command 
of  a  prize,  the  'Santa  Josepha,'  of  50  tons,  full  of 
cocoa,  cocoa-nuts,  and  some  tobacco,  which  were 
distributed  among  the  men  ;  and  then  the  ship, 
being  cleansed  and  re-christened  the  '  Increase,'  be- 
came the  hospital  ship  of  the  little  fleet,  all  the  sick 
and  a  doctor  from  each  ship  being  put  on  board, 
with  Mr.  Selkirk  as  master.  After  his  return  Selkirk 
had  various  appointments,  and  ultimately  joined  the 
royal  navy,  and  died  A.D.  1723,  aged  forty-seven, 
having  attained  the  rank  of  Lieutenant  of  H.M.S. 
'  Weymouth.' 

With  regard  to  the  subsequent  history  of  Juan 
Fernandez,  a  few  words  must  suffice.  The  island 
belonged  to  Spain  at  the  time  of  Anson's  visit,  under 
the  governor  of  Chili,  and  it  now  belongs  to  Chili, 
since  that  republic  assumed  its  independence.  In 
former  times  it  was  only  rarely  of  use  as  a  place 


ABOUT  ROBINSON  CRUSOE.  107 

of  call  for  vessels  on  lawful  business,  for  there  was 
then  no  trade  to  San  Francisco.  This  was  not  in 
existence ;  Californian  gold  had  not  been  discovered, 
Peruvian  guano  was  unknown  to  commerce,  the 
colonists  of  North  America  had  not  found  their 
way  across  to  the  Pacific,  and  British  emigrants 
had  not  begun  to  seek  new  homes  in  Australia  and 
New  Zealand.  No  wonder  that  Alexander  Selkirk 
waited  for  years  before  he  saw  an  English  ship, 
though  a  few  Spanish  vessels  appeared  during  his 
four  years'  sojourn.  The  buccaneers  haunted  the 
place,  and  it  was  to  make  it  less  attractive  to  them 
that  the  Spaniards  set  loose  fierce  dogs,  to  diminish 
the  resources  of  the  island  for  these  lawless  pirates. 

Attempts  have  been  made  at  various  times  to 
colonise  the  island,  but  they  usually  failed,  or  were 
soon  given  up.  It  was  then  used  as  a  penal  settle- 
ment, first  by  Spain,  and  afterwards  by  the  Chilian 
government.  Some  Yankee  speculators  leased  the 
island  from  the  Chilians,  and  tried  to  get  Tahitian 
labour,  but  the  project  was  soon  abandoned.  The 
cheapness  of  land  on  the  continent  and  the  abund- 
ance of  labour  there  made  the  speculation  a  failure. 

Omitting  notices  of  visits  by  other  recent  voyagers, 
such  as  that  of  Captain  King,  of  H.M.S.  '  Adventure,' 
in  1833,  it  may  be  mentioned  that  in  1868  Commo- 
dore Powell  and  the  officers  of  H.M.S.  '  Topaze  '  of 
the  Pacific  Squadron  erected  a  tablet,  with  inscrip- 
tion, in  memory  of  Selkirk,  on  an  elevated  spot,  called 


io8  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

1  Selkirk's  Look-out/  giving  the  dates  and  main  facts 
of  his  career. 

In  November  1877  Captain  Chatfield,  of  H.M.S. 
'Amethyst,'  made  a  trip  from  Valparaiso  to  Juan 
Fernandez,  and  he  saw  and  described  the  tablet  of 
cast-iron  which  was  erected  by  the  officers  of  the 
'  Topaze.'  Mr.  Haefiigar,  a  naturalist,  who  accom- 
panied Captain  Chatfield,  wrote  some  letters  in  the 
Valparaiso  papers  at  the  time,  giving  an  account 
of  the  island,  and  describing  the  animals  and  the 
vegetable  products  abounding  in  the  fertile  valley. 

There  is  a  full  report  on  the  latter  subjects  in 
the  '  Notes  by  a  Naturalist  on  the  "  Challenger." ' 
Professor  Moseley,  F.R.S.,  gives  a  most  interesting 
account  of  the  geology,  zoology,  and  botany  of  the 
island.  He  too  visited  the  site  of  the  monument  to 
Selkirk.  He  tells  us  that  the  aspect  of  the  island 
as  to  vegetation  is  very  different  from  what  it  was 
in  Anson's  days.  For  several  hundred  feet  above 
the  sea-level  trees  are  absent,  the  forests  having 
been  all  felled.  No  growing  sandal-wood  was  found, 
though  dead  timber  of  it  was  noticed.  He  mentions 
the  humming-birds,  the  fur-seals,  the  fish,  and  the 
rock-lobsters  {Palinunis  frontalis)^  still  so  plentiful 
that  more  than  sixty  were  captured  by  a  bailed 
hoop-net  'put  over  the  ship's  side  at  the  anchorage, 
and  hauled  up  at  short  intervals.  The  meat  of  the 
tails  of  these  lobsters,  or  cray-fish,  as  Anson  calls 
them,  is  dried  for  export  to  Chili.      For  at  the  time 


ABOUT  ROBINSON  CRUSOE.  109 

of  the  visit  of  the  '  Challenger '  the  island  was  rented 
from  the  Chilian  government  as  a  farm  by  a  Chilian, 
who  employs  a  considerable  number  of  labourers,  rears 
cattle,  and  grows  fruits,  and  does  a  very  good  trade 
with  passing  vessels.  The  dried  lobsters  and  the 
skins  of  fur-seals  also  yield  good  return  as  exports. 
Professor  Moseley  says  : — '  The  study  of  Robinson 
Crusoe  certainly  first  gave  me  the  desire  to  go  to 
sea,  and  Darwin's  Journal  settled  the  matter.  Defoe 
was  obliged  to  lay  the  scene  of  his  romance  in  the 
West  Indies,  in  order  to  bring  in  the  Carib  man 
Friday.  He  thus  gained  the  parrot,  but  he  lost  the 
sea-elephants  and  fur-seals  of  Juan  Fernandez,  one 
of  the  latter  of  which  would  have  made  a  capital 
pet  for  Crusoe.' 

One  other  reference  we  must  make  to  the  litera- 
ture connected  with  the  island.  Every  one  knows 
the  poem  by  Cowper,  '  Supposed  to  be  written  by 
Alexander  Selkirk  during  his  solitary  abode  in  the 
island  of  Juan  Fernandez,'  beginning — 

'  I  am  monarch  of  all  I  survey, 

My  right  there  is  none  to  dispute  ; 
From  the  centre  all  round  to  the  sea 
I  am  lord  of  the  fowl  and  the  brute. 

'  O  solitude  !  where  are  the  charms 
That  sages  have  seen  in  thy  face  ? 
Better  dwell  in  the  midst  of  alarms 
Than  reign  in  this  horrible  place. 

Then,  after  making  him  lament  the  absence  of 
1  humanity,  friendship,  and  love,'  he    describes   him 


no  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

as  turning  to  religion  for  comfort,  and  saying,  with 
no  less  truth  than  beauty — 

'  Religion  !  what  treasure  untold 
Resides  in  that  heavenly  word  ! 
More  precious  than  silver  or  gold, 
Or  all  that  the  earth  can  afford. 

'  But  the  sound  of  the  church-going  bell 
These  valleys  and  rocks  never  heard, 
Ne'er  sighed  at  the  sound  of  a  knell, 
Or  smiled  when  a  Sabbath  appeared.' 

The  entire  ideas  connected  with  the  poem  are 
pensive,  yet  not  sad,  and  fitly  summed  up  by 
Cowper  in  the  closing  lines  : — 

'  But  the  sea-fowl  is  gone  to  her  nest, 
The  beast  is  laid  down  in  his  lair ; 
Even  here  is  a  season  of  rest, 
And  I  to  my  cabin  repair. 

1  There  is  mercy  in  every  place, 

And  mercy — encouraging  thought ! 
Gives  even  affliction  a  grace, 
And  reconciles  man  to  his  lot.' 

Selkirk  died  young,  but  Defoe  makes  Robinson 
Crusoe  live  to  a  good  age ;  and  when  he  finally  re- 
turns to  London  after  ten  years  and  nine  months' 
absence,  every  reader  sympathises  with  the  old  man 
of  seventy-two,  as  he  thus  closes  his  story  : — "And 
here,  resolving  to  harass  myself  no  more,  I  am 
preparing  for  a  longer  voyage  than  all  these,  having 
lived  a  life  of  infinite  variety,  and  learnt  sufficiently 
the  value  of  retirement  and  the  blessing  of  ending 
one's  days  in  peace." 


ABOUT  ROBINSON  CRUSOE. 


But  we  have  lingered  almost  too  long  over  the 
fascinating  associations  conjured  up  by  the  visit  of 
Anson  to  Juan  Fernandez,  and  must  pass  on  to  the 
troubles  and  the  triumphs  of  the  remainder  of  the 
voyage. 


CHAPTER    XIII. 

ARRIVAL   OF  THE  'GLOUCESTER'  AT  JUAN 
FERNANDEZ. 

/^^VN  the  2  ist  of  June  some  of  the  people,  from  an 
^-^  eminence  on  shore,  discerned  a  ship  to  lee- 
ward, and  she  carried  so  little  sail  that  they  came 
to  the  conclusion  it  was  one  of  the  squadron  which 
had  probably  suffered  much  from  the  stormy  passage. 
After  viewing  her  for  some  time  the  weather  grew 
thick  and  hazy,  and  they  lost  sight  of  her.  As  no 
ship  appeared  for  some  days  the  worst  fears  were 
entertained,  and  the  fate  of  the  crew  was  more 
anxiously  canvassed,  in  thinking  that  after  being  in 
sight  of  the  island  they  might  have  been  so  dimi- 
nished in  number  and  weakened  in  strength  as  to 
be  unable  to  ply  up  to  windward.  But  about  noon 
on  the  26th  a  sail  was  again  discerned  in  the 
north-east  quarter,  and  when  she  came  near  enough 
they  could  distinguish  her  as  the  '  Gloucester.' 

The  Commodore,  having  little  doubt  of  her  being 
in  great  distress,  immediately  ordered  his  boat  to 
her  assistance,  laden  with  fresh  water,  fish,  and 
vegetables.     This  proved  indeed  a  seasonable  relief, 


ARRIVAL   OF  THE  'GLOUCESTER:         113 

for  never  was  a  crew  in  greater  straits.  They  had 
already  lost  two-thirds  of  their  complement,  and  of 
those  remaining  alive  scarcely  any  were  capable  of 
doing  duty  except  the  officers  and  their  servants. 
They  had  for  a  considerable  time  been  on  short  al- 
lowance of  water,  a  pint  to  each  man  for  twenty-four 
hours  ;  and  so  little  was  left  that  but  for  the  supply 
now  obtained  they  must  soon  have  died  of  thirst. 

The  '  Gloucester '  plied  in  within  three  miles  of 
the  bay,  but  the  winds  and  currents  both  being 
contrary  she  could  not  reach  the  road.  However, 
she  continued  in  the  offing  the  next  day,  when  the 
Commodore,  seeing  there  was  no  chance  of  her 
coming  to  an  anchor  till  the  wind  shifted,  repeated 
his  assistance,  sending  to  her  the  '  Tryal's '  boat, 
manned  with  some  of  the  '  Centurion's '  people,  with 
further  supply  of  food  and  of  water. 

Captain  Mitchell  was  under  the  necessity  of 
detaining  both  this  boat  and  that  sent  the  pre- 
ceding day  ;  for  without  the  help  of  their  crews  he 
had  no  longer  strength  to  navigate  the  ship.  In 
this  tantalising  situation  the  '  Gloucester '  continued 
for  nearly  a  fortnight,  without  being  able  to  fetch 
the  road,  though  frequently  attempting  it.  On  the 
9th  of  July  she  was  seen  stretching  away  to  the 
eastward  at  a  considerable  distance,  which  was 
supposed  to  be  with  the  design  to  get  to  the  south- 
ward of  the  island  ;  but  as  they  soon  lost  sight 
of  her,  and  she  did  not  appear  again  for  a  week, 

8 


ii4  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

the  Commodore  was  greatly  concerned,  knowing 
she  must  be  in  extreme  distress  for  want  of  water. 
At  lqngth  she  was  discovered  on  the  16th,  en- 
deavouring to  come  round  the  eastern  point  of  the 
island  ;  but  the  wind  still  blowing  directly  from 
the  bay  prevented  her  getting  nearer  than  within 
four  leagues  of  the  land. 

On  this,  Captain  Mitchell  made  signals  of  distress, 
and  the  '  Centurion's '  long-boat  was  sent,  with  a 
store  of  water,  and  plenty  of  fish  and  other  refresh- 
ments. As  the  long-boat  could  not  be  spared,  the 
coxswain  had  positive  orders  to  return  again  im- 
mediately ;  but  the  weather  proving  stormy  the  next 
day,  and  the  boat  not  appearing,  there  was  new  fear 
that  she  was  lost,  which  would  have  proved  an 
irretrievable  misfortune  to  them  all.  However,  the 
third  day  after,  they  were  relieved  of  this  anxiety 
by  the  joyful  sight  of  the  long-boat's  sails  upon  the 
water ;  on  which  the  Commodore  sent  the  cutter 
immediately  to  her  assistance,  by  which  the  long- 
boat was  towed  alongside  in  a  few  hours.  It  was 
then  found  that  the  long-boat  had  taken  in  six  of 
the  '  Gloucester's '  sick  men  to  bring  them  on  shore, 
two  of  whom  had  died  in  the  boat.  The  dreadful 
condition  of  the  crew  of  the  '  Gloucester '  was  the 
more  fully  ascertained,  there  being  scarcely  a  man 
in  health  on  board,  except  those  sent  from  the 
'  Centurion  ; '  and  numbers  of  the  sick  every  day 
dying,  it  appeared  that  but  for  the  last  supply  sent 


ARRIVAL    OF  THE  '  GLOUCESTER:  115 

by  the  long-boat  all  must  have    perished    together 
for  want  of  water. 

It  was  a  dismal  prospect.  The  ■  Gloucester  '  had 
already  spent  a  month  in  her  endeavours  to  fetch 
the  bay,  and  she  was  now  no  further  advanced  than 
at  the  first  moment  she  sighted  the  island.  The 
people  on  board  had  given  up  hope  of  ever  setting 
foot  there,  so  long  had  they  been  baffled  in  their 
efforts  ;  and  it  was  a  grievous  aggravation  of  their 
distress  to  be  within  view  of  the  relief  it  was  not 
in   their  power  to  reach. 

At  last  deliverance  came  from  this  terrible  situa- 
tion, and  when  it  was  least  expected.  After  having 
disappeared  again  for  some  days,  and  almost  hope- 
lessly lost  sight  of,  at  daybreak  on  the  23rd  of  July 
she  was  seen  opening  the  N.W.  point  of  the  bay, 
with  a  flowing  sail.  All  the  boats  available  went 
out  to  her  assistance,  and  in  an  hour's  time  from 
her  being  descried  she  anchored  safe  in  the  bay 
between  the  ■  Centurion  '  and  the  shore.  They  were 
helped  in  mooring,  and  their  sick  sent  on  shore, 
the  whole  numbering  less  than  eighty,  of  which  it 
was  feared  that  the  greater  part  could  not  recover. 
But  whether  it  was  that  those  most  weakened  by 
the  scurvy  had  succumbed,  or  the  greens  and  fresh 
provisions  sent  on  board  had  prepared  the  survivors 
for  a  more  speedy  recovery,  the  sick  from  the 
1  Gloucester '  were  in  general  relieved  and  restored 
to   their  health   in   a   much   shorter  time  than  the 


n6  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

sick  of  the  '  Centurion  '  when  they  were  first  put  on 
shore  ;  and  very  few  of  the  '  Gloucester's  '  men  died 
after  they  were  landed. 

The  principal  events  relating  to  the  arrival  of  the 
'  Gloucester '  having  been  thus  described  in  a  con- 
tinued narrative,  it  may  be  mentioned  here  that  the 
1  Centurion '  was  never  joined  by  any  other  ship  of 
the  squadron,  except  the  remaining  victualler,  the 
'  Anna '  pink,  which  made  its  appearance  about  the 
middle  of  August.  But  for  the  present  the  story  of 
its  adventures  must  be  deferred,  in  order  to  give  an 
account  of  what  was  done  by  the  Commodore  and 
his  men  of  the  '  Centurion,'  both  on  board  and  on 
shore,  during  the  period  of  the  '  Gloucester's'  frequent 
and  ineffectual  attempts  to  reach  the  island. 

It  was  the  ioth  of  June,  as  already  stated,  that 
the  '  Centurion  '  cast  anchor  in  Cumberland  Bay  on 
the  northern  side  of  Juan  Fernandez.  The  first 
employment,  after  sending  the  sick  on  shore,  was 
the  cleansing  the  ship  and  getting  a  fresh  supply 
of  water.  It  was  necessary  to  do  this  quickly,  for 
some  appearances  discovered  on  shore  gave  ground 
for  believing  that  there  were  Spanish  cruisers  in 
those  seas,  and  that  they  had  very  lately  been  at 
the  island,  and  might  possibly  return.  The  heaps 
of  ashes  where  fires  had  been  made,  the  bits  of 
earthen  jars  that  seemed  but  freshly  broken,  and 
the  bones  and  pieces  of  fish  not  yet  decayed,  proved 
the    recent   time   of  the   visits   tQ    the    island.     As 


A RRIVA L   OF  THE  «  GL  O  UC ESTER:         1 1 7 

Spanish  merchant  ships  had  been  warned  to  avoid 
the  island,  as  being  the  rendezvous  of  buccaneers 
and  pirates,  Commodore  Anson  concluded  that  the 
Spanish  war-ships  of  Pizarro's  fleet  had  been  there. 
He  knew  that  they  had  been  sent  to  intercept  him, 
but  he  did  not  then  know  that  these  ships  had  met 
with  disasters  as  great  as  his  own  squadron,  and 
that  the  Spaniards  were  as  incapable  of  attacking, 
from  their  wretched,  enfeebled  condition,  as  the 
English  were  of  defence.  Not  having  above  thirty- 
hands  fit  for  fighting,  it  was  thought  that  the 
'  Centurion '  must  fall  an  easy  prey  to  any  vessel 
of  Pizarro's  fleet.  Hence  the  haste  to  get  the 
1  Centurion  '  ready  for  making  off  before  an  armed 
enemy  appeared. 

Fortunately  there  was  no  danger  such  as  at  first 
was  feared.  But  the  condition  of  the  sick  continued 
a  source  of  anxiety.  Besides  the  vegetables  and 
fish,  it  was  thought  that  fresh  baked  bread  would 
help  their  recovery,  so  a  large  copper  oven  from  the 
ship  was  set  up  near  the  sick-tents. 

On  the  very  last  day  of  June  a  sudden  gust  of 
wind  directly  off  shore  parted  the  small  bower 
cable  about  ten  fathom  from  the  ring  of  the  anchor. 
The  ship  at  once  swung  off  to  the  next  bower,  which 
happily  stood  the  violence  of  the  jerk,  and  brought 
up  with  two  cables  on  end  in  eighty  fathom. 
There  were  at  the  moment  not  above  a  dozen  sea- 
men in  the  ship,  and  had  the  squall  continued  they 


n8  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

might  have  been  driven  out  to  sea  in  this  helpless 
condition.  However,  the  boat  was  sent  on  shore  to 
bring  off  all  who  were  capable  of  acting,  and  the 
wind  abating  the  boat  was  received  safely  with  the 
reinforcement  from  shore.  With  this  additional 
strength  they  set  to  work  to  heave  in  what  remained 
of  the  cable,  some  of  which  had  been  damaged,  but 
what  was  serviceable  was  bent  to  the  spare  anchor* 
which  was  got  over  the  ship's  side.  Next  morning, 
July  1st,  the  wind  being  favourable,  the  ship  was 
warped  in  again,  and  the  anchors  let  go,  in  forty-one 
fathom,  in  a  position  where  they  remained  secure 
afterwards.  The  anchor  itself,  though  often  swept 
for,  could  not  be  recovered,  the  buoy  having  sunk  at 
the  very  time  the  cable  parted,  so  that  they  were 
never  able  to  find  the  place  where  it  sank. 

Asjuly  advanced,  some  of  the  men  being  toler- 
ably recovered,  the  strongest  of  them  were  put  upon 
cutting  down  trees  and  splitting  them  into  billets, 
End  those  not  strong  enough  for  this  work  carried 
the  billets  by  one  at  a  time  to  the  water-side. 
Even  the  feeblest  and  oldest  did  what  they  could 
in  this  lighter  labour.  A  tent  was  set  up  for  the 
sail-makers,  who  were  set  to  work  in  repairing  the 
old  sails  or  making  new  ones.  The  smiths  also, 
as  far  as  they  had  strength,  were  busied  in  mending 
the  chain-plates  and  other  broken  or  decayed  iron- 
work. All  this  was  carried  on  in  hopes  of  the 
arrival  of  the  'Gloucester.' 


ARRIVAL   OF  THE  'GLOUCESTER:         119 

When  at  length  Captain  Mitchell  was  able  to  come 
to  anchor  in  the  bay,  he  waited,  on  the  Commodore, 
and  told  him  that  he  had  been  forced  by  the  winds, 
in  his  last  absence,  as  far  as  a  small  island  called 
Mas-a-Fuera,  about  twenty- two  leagues  to  the  west- 
ward of  Juan  Fernandez.  He  saw  several  streams 
and  cascades  of  water,  but  the  wind  blew  so  strong 
upon  the  shore,  causing  so  great  a  surf,  that  it  was 
impossible  for  the  boat  to  land.  The  attempt  was 
made,  and  was  not  altogether  useless,  for  the  people 
returned  with  a  boat-load  of  fish.  The  island  was 
covered  with  trees  and  verdure,  and  was  in  length 
about  four  miles.  If  any  bay  existed,  this  island  of 
Mas-a-Fuera  might  prove  a  hospitable  place  of  shelter, 
and  was  not  a  barren  rock,  as  former  navigators  had 
reported. 

On  hearing  this,  the  Commodore  thought  that 
possibly  some  of  the  missing  ships  of  the  squadron 
might  have  fallen  in  with  this  island,  and  remained 
there,  thinking  it  to  be  the  true  place  of  rendezvous. 
He  determined  to  send  the  '  Tryal '  sloop,  as  soon 
as  she  could  be  fitted  for  the  sea,  to  ascertain  this. 
Next  morning  several  of  the  best  hands  were  sent 
on  board  the  '  Tryal '  to  fix  her  rigging,  while  the 
long-boat  was  employed  in  carrying  whatever  stores 
and  necessaries  might  be  needed  ;  these  being  taken 
from  the  '  Centurion  '  and  from  the  '  Gloucester.' 

It  was  not  till  after  the  4th  of  August  that  the 
'  Tryal '   got  under   weigh    and    proceeded    on    her 


FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 


cruise.  She  did  not  return  till  near  the  middle  of 
the  month,  having  been  round  the  island  of  Mas-a- 
Fuera  without  meeting  any  of  the  ships,  but  bring- 
ing the  same  favourable  account  of  the  island  as 
had  been  brought  by  Captain  Mitchell  of  the 
4  Gloucester.'  There  were  very  great  numbers  of 
goats,  very  tame,  and  not  apprehensive  of  danger 
until  they  had  been  frequently  fired  at.  The 
Spaniards,  supposing  the  island  to  be  barren,  as  was 
the  general  idea,  did  not  think  it  could  be  frequented 
by  their  enemies,  and  so  they  had  not  sent  dogs  on 
shore  as  they  did  at  Juan  Fernandez.  Besides  the 
goats,  the  people  of  the  '  Tryal '  found  vast  numbers 
of  seals,  and  of  sea-lions. 


CHAPTER    XIV. 

ARRIVAL  OF  THE  'ANNA'  PINK,  AND  THE 
STORY  OF  HER  ADVENTURES  SINCE  PARTING 
COMPANY. 

T3EF0RE  the  return  of  the  'Tryal'  from  her 
■***'  cruise,  excitement  was  caused  by  the  appear- 
ance of  a  sail  in  the  distance,  to  the  north.  It  was 
on  Sunday,  the  16th  of  August,  about  noon.  A 
gun  was  immediately  fired  from  the  '  Centurion,' 
which  was  the  appointed  signal  for  calling  the 
people  to  the  shores,  many  of  whom  were  now 
living  in  separate  huts,  under  the  idea  that  this 
would  be  better  for  recovering  health  than  so  many 
being  together  in  the  sick  tents.  The  people 
readily  obeyed  the  summons,  and  the  boats  were 
waiting  to  carry  them  on  board.  At  first  it  was 
supposed  to  be  the  '  Tryal '  sloop,  but  as  it  drew 
nearer  she  was  seen  to  be  a  vessel  with  three  masts  ; 
but  whether  friend  or  foe  was  as  yet  uncertain. 
The  suspense  ended  by  her  being  recognised  as  the 
victualler  '  Anna.'  She  had,  like  the  '  Gloucester,' 
fallen  in  to  the  northward  of  the  island  ;  but  the 
weather    being  now   favourable,  she   had   the    good 


122  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

fortune  to  come  to  anchor  in  the  bay,  at  five  in  the 
afternoon.  Her  arrival  was  gladly  welcomed,  all 
the  more  that  she  had  on  board  provisions  and 
other  stores.  Among  these  was  ample  supply  of 
flour,  for  lack  of  which  only  small  allowances  of 
fresh  bread  had  been  available.  Now  the  ovens 
were  kept  busy,  and  the  fear  of  running  short  of 
other  provisions  was  removed. 

It  should  have  been  mentioned  that  the  captain 
of  the  '  Tryal '  sloop,  on  her  arrival,  had  reported  to 
the  Commodore  having  fallen  in  with  the  victualler 
on  the  9th  of  May,  off  the  coast  of  Chili ;  and  had 
kept  company  with  her  for  four  days,  when  they 
were  parted  in  a  hard  gale  of  wind.  All  June  and 
July  having  passed  without  any  tidings,  it  was  found 
necessary,  at  the  end  of  January,  to  order  short 
allowance  of  bread,  and  it  was  also  found  that  the 
former  Purser  had  neglected  to  take  on  board  the 
'  Centurion '  large  quantities  of  various  kinds  of 
provisions  which  the  Commodore  had  specially 
ordered  him  to  receive.  Hence  the  supposed  loss  of 
the  victualler  had  been  the  more  annoying,  and  the 
joy  on  her  unexpected  appearance  in  the  middle  of 
August  the  more  general.  What  had  happened  to 
the  '  Anna '  since  she  parted  company  off  the  coast 
of  Chili  will  now  be  told. 

On  the  first  arrival  of  the  '  Anna '  at  the  island,  it 
caused  surprise  that  the  crew  were  able  to  work  their 
ship  as  they  did,  and  bring  her  to  anchor  without  the 


ARRIVAL   OF  THE  'ANNA'   PINK.  123 

distress  and  difficulty  shown  by  the  people  of  the 
'  Gloucester '  and  'Tryal,'  as  well  as  of  the  '  Centurion.' 
But  the  explanation  was  soon  given.  After  parting 
with  the  '  Tryal,'  the  '  Anna '  found  herself  near 
land,  and  steering  towards  it  expected  to  obtain 
shelter  among  some  of  the  many  islands  off  the 
coast.  They  came  to  anchor  eastward  of  the  island 
of  Inchin,  but  not  having  hands  enough  to  veer  away 
the  cable  briskly,  they  were  driven  to  the  eastward, 
and  next  day  let  go  their  sheet  anchor.  Although  it 
brought  them  up  for  a  short  time,  they  continued  to 
drive  till  they  were  within  a  mile  of  the  shore.  As 
the  boats  were  very  leaky,  and  no  place  for  landing 
appeared,  they  gave  themselves  up  for  lost ;  expect- 
ing either  to  be  cast  on  the  rocks,  or  if  any  escaped 
shipwreck  that  they  would  be  massacred  by  the 
savages  on  that  coast,  who  were  bitterly  hostile 
to  the  Spaniards,  and  who  would  not  know  how  to 
distinguish  other  strangers  from  their  usual  foes. 
Under  this  condition  of  fear  they  drifted  nearer  and 
nearer  to  the  shore,  but  at  last  they  perceived  a 
small  opening  in  the  land,  for  which  they  steered,  and 
found  it  to  be  a  channel  between  an  island  and  the 
mainland,  leading  them  to  an  excellent  and  sheltered 
harbour.  Here  the  ship  was  anchored  in  twenty- 
five  fathom  water,  with  only  a  hawser  and  a  small 
anchor  of  about  three  hundredweight.  The  crew 
consisted  of  only  sixteen  hands,  men  and  boys. 
Here  they  remained  for  nearly  two  months  ;  and 


124  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

although  symptoms  of  scurvy  had  appeared  in  some, 
all  were  restored  to  perfect  health  by  the  abundance 
of  good  provisions,  and  excellent  water  with  which 
the  adjacent  shore  abounded. 

Of  the  port  as  a  convenient  and  safe  refuge,  and 
of  the  resources  of  the  island,  they  gave  a  very 
favourable  account,  but  as  they  could  not  give  an 
accurate  idea  of  its  position  the  report  is  not  likely 
to  be  of  use  for  other  navigators,  and  may  be  here 
omitted.  Nor  were  any  of  the  people  detached 
to  make  observations  at  more  distant  parts  ;  their 
number  being  so  few,  and  their  fear  of  being 
attacked,  either  by  Spaniards  or  Indians,  so  great, 
that  their  excursions  were  only  in  the  neighbourhood 
of  the  port,  and  where  they  were  ever  in  view  of 
the  ship. 

The  only  information  obtained  by  them  was  of 
a  negative  kind,  disproving  the  accounts  given  by 
Spanish  writers  that  this  coast  was  inhabited  by  a 
fierce  and  powerful  race  of  savages.  All  the  time 
they  continued  there  they  saw  only  one  Indian 
family,  which  came  into  the  harbour  in  a  canoe 
about  a  month  after  their  own  arrival.  The  family 
consisted  of  an  Indian  about  forty  years  old,  his 
wife,  and  two  children,  one  about  three  years  old 
and  a  babe.  They  seemed  to  have  all  their  property 
with  them, — a  dog,  a  cat,  a  fishing-net,  a  knife,  a 
hatchet,  some  of  the  bark  of  trees  for  covering  a  hut 
or  wigwam,  and  a  flint  and  steel. 


ARRIVAL    OF  THE  'ANNA'   PINK.         125 

The  master  of  the  '  Anna,'  as  soon  as  he  saw 
them,  sent  his  yawl  and  brought  them  on  board. 
Fearing  if  they  were  allowed  to  go  away  they 
might  bring  other  Indians,  the  master  thought  it 
prudent  to  secure  them,  but  treated  them  with  as 
much  gentleness  as  possible.  In  the  daytime  they 
were  allowed  to  go  where  they  pleased  about  the 
ship,  but  at  night  they  were  locked  up  in  the  fore- 
castle. They  were  fed  the  same  as  the  rest  of  the 
crew,  not  excepting  the  brandy,  which  they  seemed 
to  relish.  The  master  took  the  man  on  shore  when 
he  went  shooting,  and  he  seemed  extremely  delighted 
when  the  master  killed  his  game.  All  the  crew 
treated  the  strangers  with  great  humanity,  and  they 
seemed  to  be  contented  and  cheerful. 

But  the  man  soon  began  to  be  pensive,  and  to 
grow  restless  at  his  confinement.  He  evidently  was 
of  quick  natural  faculties,  and  though  not  capable  of 
the  slightest  conversation  in  words,  yet  by  signs  he 
showed  remarkable  ability  in  making  himself  under- 
stood, and  was  also  very  curious  and  inquisitive.  For 
instance,  on  looking  at  the  size  of  the  ship,  and 
seeing  so  few  people  on  board,  he  supposed  that  the 
crew  must  have  been  more  numerous  ;  and  to  repre- 
sent what  was  passing  in  his  mind  he  laid  himself 
down  on  the  deck,  closed  his  eyes,  and,  stretching 
himself  out  motionless,  he  thus  expressed  his  notion 
of  the  diminution  of  number,  by  imitating  the 
appearance    of   a    dead    body.     But    the    strongest 


126  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 


proof  of  his  shrewdness  came  out  in  the  manner 
of  his  escape  from  the  ship,  which  he  managed  with 
the  utmost  cleverness. 

After  being  in  custody  for  about  eight  days,  the 
scuttle  of  the  forecastle,  where  he  and  his  family 
were  locked  up  every  night,  happened  to  be  unnailed. 
The  following  night  being  very  dark  and  stormy, 
so  that  unusual  noise  could  not  be  heard,  he  con- 
trived to  convey  his  wife  and  children  through  the 
unnailed  scuttle,  and  then  over  the  ship's  side  into 
the  yawl.  Then,  to  prevent  being  pursued,  he  cut 
away  the  long-boat  and  his  own  canoe,  which  were 
towing  astern,  and  immediately  rowed  ashore.  It 
was  not  till  the  noise  of  the  oars  in  the  water  gave 
the  alarm  that  the  watch  on  the  quarter-deck,  with 
loaded  arms,  had  the  slightest  suspicion  of  any 
movement  on  board.  It  was  then  too  late  to  stop 
him,  or  to  pursue  him,  for,  the  boats  being  all  adrift, 
it  was  a  considerable  time  before  they  could  recover, 
by  getting  on  shore,  their  own  boats.  By  this  exploit 
the  Indian  certainly  had  his  revenge  on  those  who 
had  confined  him,  not  only  by  the  trouble  they  had 
to  recover  their  boats,  but  by  the  terror  he  caused 
on  his  departure  ;  for  on  the  first  alarm  of  the  watch, 
who  cried  out  "  The  Indians  ! "  the  whole  ship  was 
thrown  into  consternation,  thinking  that  they  were 
being  boarded  by  a  fleet  of  armed  canoes. 

His  late  captors  and  masters  were  so  pleased 
with  the  enterprise  of  this  man  that  they  could  not 


ARRIVAL   OF  THE  'ANNA'  PINK.         127 

but  admire,  in  spite  of  the  fear  he  had  given  rise 
to,  from  the  possibility  of  his  spreading  the  report 
of  the  presence  of  the  ship.  Lest  they  were  re- 
maining in  concealment  only  in  the  neighbourhood, 
and  might  suffer  for  want  of  food,  the  sailors 
prevailed  on  the  master  to  deposit  some  food,  which 
they  knew  the  Indians  had  most  relished,  in  a  place 
where  they  would  be  likely  to  see  it ;  and  this  act 
of  humanity  was  not  in  vain,  for  the  provisions  dis- 
appeared in  a  manner  that  made  them  conclude  the 
Indians  had  taken  them. 

At  the  same  time,  the  master  and  others  feared 
that  they  might  go  to  the  island  of  Chiloe,  where 
there  were  Spaniards,  and  might  return  as  guides 
with  a  force  sufficient  to  surprise  and  capture  the 
ship.  The  precaution  was  taken  of  omitting  to  fire 
the  evening  gun,  for  the  master,  from  ostentatious 
imitation  of  the  custom  of  men-of-war,  had  hitherto 
fired  a  signal  gun  every  evening,  at  the  setting  of 
the  watch.  This  he  said  he  had  continued  to  do, 
although  no  longer  in  company  with  the  ships  of 
the  navy,  in  order  to  awe  the  enemy,  if  any  were 
within  hearing,  and  to  convince  them  that  the  vessel 
was  always  on  her  guard. 

The  crew  now  being  well  refreshed,  and  their  wood 
and  water  well  replenished,  they  put  to  sea,  a  few 
days  after  the  escape  of  the  Indians,  and  had  a 
fortunate  passage  to  Juan  Fernandez,  where  they 
arrived  on  the  16th  of  August,  as  already  recorded. 


128  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

This  victualler,  the  '  Anna,'  was  the  last  ship  that 
joined  the  Commodore  at  Juan  Fernandez.  The 
remaining  ships  of  the  squadron  were  the  '  Severn/ 
the  '  Pearl,'  and  the  '  Wager.'  The  '  Severn '  and  the 
'  Pearl,'  as  was  afterwards  learned,  parted  company 
with  the  squadron  off  Cape  Noir,  and  instead  of 
trying,  like  the  others,  to  push  on  to  the  next 
rendezvous,  put  back  to  the  Brazils. 


CHAPTER   XV. 

THE    WRECK   OF    THE    'WAGER: 

f~\  F  the  ships  that  had  doubled  Cape  Horn,  the 
^-^  absence  of  the  '  Wager '  most  affected  the 
expedition,  being  the  store-ship  of  the  squadron. 
Though  now  rated  as  one  of  His  Majesty's  ships, 
and  fitted  out  as  a  man-of-war,  she  was  originally  a 
merchant  Indiaman.  Having  plenty  of  storage 
room,  she  was  deeply  laden  with  all  kinds  of  bales 
and  merchandise,  and  with  careening  gear  and 
necessaries  for  the  use  of  the  other  ships.  But  what 
most  concerned  the  Commodore  was  that  she  had 
on  board  some  field-pieces,  mounted  for  land  service, 
together  with  mortars  and  other  artillery  stores,  and 
pioneers'  tools  intended  for  the  operations  on  shore. 
As  the  Commodore  had  resolved  to  attack  the 
Spanish  fortified  station  of  Baldivia,  as  the  first 
undertaking  of  the  squadron,  Captain  Cheap  was 
above  all  solicitous  that  these  military  stores  which 
were  in  his  custody  might  be  ready  before  Baldivia, 
so  that  the  squadron  on  its  rendezvous  there  (he 
little  knew  the  condition  they  were  reduced  to) 
might  not  blame  him  for  delay  or  disappointment. 

9 


i3o  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

Therefore  he  determined  to  omit  the  first  rendezvous 
at  Socoro,  and  proposed  to  steer  direct  for  Baldivia. 

In  this  course  she  made  the  land  on  the  14th 
of  May,  about  the  latitude  of  470  South.  Captain 
Cheap,  exerting  himself  on  this  occasion  in  order 
to  get  clear  of  it,  had  the  misfortune  to  fall  down 
the  after-ladder  and  dislocate  his  shoulder,  which 
rendered  him  incapable  of  acting.  This  accident, 
together  with  the  crazy  condition  of  the  ship,  which 
was  little  better  than  a  floating  wreck,  so  severely 
had  she  suffered  from  the  tempestuous  voyage, 
prevented  her  from  getting  off  to  sea,  and  entangled 
her  more  and  more  with  the  land.  Next  morning 
she  struck  on  a  sunken  rock,  and  soon  after  bilged, 
and  grounded  between  two  small  islands  at  about  a 
musket-shot  from  the  shore.  The  crew  got  almost 
all  safe  on  shore,  on  an  island  called  afterwards 
1  Wager  Island.'  But  they  were  in  so  disorganized 
and  mutinous  a  state  that  the  captain  and  officers 
lost  all  authority  over  the  ill-disposed  and  ill-con- 
ducted, who  were  the  great  majority  of  those  who  sur- 
vived. The  ship  was  pillaged,  the  spirit  stores  were 
broken  into,  and  some  of  the  men  through  drunken- 
ness perished  on  the  wreck.  Only  a  small  number 
remained  faithful  to  the  service  and  to  the  officers 
of  the  ship.  Yet  the  others  could  not  exactly  be 
called  '  mutineers,'  for  in  those  times  it  was  taken 
for  granted  that  when  a  ship  was  wrecked,  and  the 
pay  and  provisioning  of  the  crew  ceased,  they  were 


THE   WRECK  OF  THE  <  WAGER:  131 

no  longer  under  authority  and  ordinary  discipline. 
It  was  not  till  long  afterwards,  and  at  the  instance 
of  Anson,  from  the  experience  of  the  '  Wager,'  that 
the  law  was  made  clear  for  maintaining  and  con- 
tinuing discipline  after  a  ship  is  wrecked. 

The  facts  about  the  wreck  of  the  '  Wager,'  and 
the  history  of  the  proceedings  of  the  crew  till  all 
finally  left  '  Wager  Island,'  after  living  for  many 
months  on  that  desolate  island,  were  made  known 
through  the  arrival  of  some  of  the  seamen  in 
England.  They  had  left  the  island,  under  the 
advice  and  guidance  of  Mr.  Bulkeley,  one  of  the 
warrant  officers,  who  persuaded  them  that  by  re- 
turning through  the  Straits  of  Magellan,  and  then 
ranging  along  the  coast,  they  should  arrive  at  Brazil, 
where  they  hoped  to  be  well  received  (the  Portu- 
guese being  then  friendly),  and  thence  procure  a 
passage  to  England.  This  was  effected,  though  with 
the  loss  of  most  of  their  number,  and  after  great 
labours  and  hazards.  Captain  Cheap,  and  those  who 
agreed  with  him,  resolved  to  remain,  and,  in  the  best 
way  they  could,  find  their  way  northward,  by  land 
or  by  coasting  in  the  barge  and  yawl,  which  were  left 
when  the  others  went  off  in  the  long-boat  and  cutter. 

When  the  ship  was  wrecked  there  were  alive  on 
board  the  '  Wager '  about  a  hundred  and  thirty 
persons.  Of  these  above  thirty  died  upon  Wager 
Island  ;  eighty  went  off  in  the  long-boat  and  cutter 
to  the   southward,  leaving    behind  the  captain  and 


132  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

nineteen  others,  as  many  as  the  barge  and  the  yawl 
could  well  carry. 

It  was  the  13th  October,  five  months  after  the 
shipwreck,  that  the  long-boat,  converted  into  a 
schooner,  weighed  and  stood  to  the  southward,  giv- 
ing Captain  Cheap,  Lieutenant  Hamilton  of  the  land 
forces,  and  the  others  on  the  beach  three  cheers  on 
their  departure.  They  did  not  get  to  Rio  Grande  on 
the  coast  of  Brazil  till  the  29th  of  January,  1743. 

Having,  by  various  accidents,  left  about  twenty  of 
their  people  on  shore  at  different  places  they  touched 
at,  and  a  larger  number  having  perished  of  hunger 
and  sickness  during  the  navigation,  there  were  not 
above  thirty  who  reached  Rio  Grande.  The  loss  of 
the  cutter,  which  broke  away  from  the  stern  and 
was  staved,  was  a  great  misfortune,  for  with  it  they 
could  get  provisions  and  water  at  places  where  the 
schooner  could  not  get  to  shore  safely. 

After  the  arrival  of  Mr.  Bulkeley  in  England, 
with  a  remnant  of  the  •  Wager's  '  crew,  a  narrative 
of  their  adventures  was  published  ;  but  this  is  not 
a  matter  belonging  to  the  history  of  Anson's  expe- 
dition. Neither  need  we  dwell  on  the  far  more 
interesting  account  of  the  adventures  and  misfor- 
tunes of  Captain  Cheap  and  the  officers  of  the 
'  Wager.'  Only  three  persons  out  of  the  twenty  left 
on  Wager  Island,  after  the  majority  left,  contrived, 
after  long  travel  by  land  and  water,  to  reach  England. 
A  fourth  turned  up  some  months  after,  a  midship- 


THE  WRECK  OF  THE  '  WAGER:  133 

man,  Campbell,  who  had  stayed  behind  in  South 
America,  and  came  back  to  Spain  in  Pizarro's  ship, 
the  'Asia.'  The  others,  by  help  of  Indians,  got  to 
the  island  of  Chiloe,  and  were  sent  to  Valparaiso, 
and  thence  to  St.  Jago,  the  capital  of  Chili,  where 
they  remained  for  a  year.  When  news  arrived  of 
an  armistice  being  settled  between  England  and 
Spain,  Captain  Cheap  and  the  only  two  of  his 
officers  still  with  him  were  permitted  to  return  to 
Europe  in  a  French  ship.  One  of  these  three  was 
the  Hon.  John  Byron,  a  scion  of  the  noble  house 
to  which  the  poet  Byron  belonged.  He  was  only  a 
young  lieutenant  when  he  went  out  with  Anson. 
He  afterwards  rose  to  high  rank  and  distinction, 
and  was  employed  on  special  service  in  those  very 
regions  where  he  had  undergone  the  hardships  of 
which  he  published  his  personal  recollections.  He 
did  not  reach  England  with  Captain  Cheap  till  after 
'  Anson's  Voyage '  had  been  published,  which  there- 
fore contains  reference  only  to  the  earlier  part  of  his 
adventures.  The  whole  of  the  story  was  not  made 
known  till  long  afterwards,  through  the  publication 
by  Byron,  in  1768,  of  ■  The  account  of  the  loss  of  the 
"  Wager,"  and  of  the  great  distresses  suffered  by  him- 
self and  his  companions  on  the  coast  of  Patagonia, 
till  his  arrival  in  England  in  1746.'  There  are  few 
books  of  shipwreck  and  disaster  by  sea  of  more 
thrilling  interest  than  this  of  the  loss  of  the  '  Wager,' 
by  Commodore  Byron. 


CHAPTER    XVI. 

PREPARING  FOR  DEPARTURE  FROM  JUAN  FER- 
NANDEZ—STATE  OF  THE  CREWS  FROM  THE 
RAVAGES  OF  SCURVY. 

A  BOUT  a  week  after  the  arrival  of  the  '  Anna ' 
•*•  *"  victualling  ship,  the  '  Tryal,'  which  had  been 
sent  to  explore  the  island  of  Mas-a-Fuera,  returned 
to  the  Commodore's  station.  No  other  ship  of  the 
squadron  had  been  met  with,  but  opportunity  was 
taken  to  examine  the  island  thoroughly.  Its  name 
was  given  by  the  Spaniards  •  Mas-a-Fuera '  (more 
distant),  from  its  being  farther  from  the  mainland 
than  Juan  Fernandez.  It  was  a  much  better  place 
than  was  supposed,  well-wooded  and  with  plenty  of 
good  water.  They  found  a  large  number  of  goats, 
the  Spaniards  having  the  idea  that  it  was  too  barren 
a  place  to  be  frequented  by  their  enemies  the 
buccaneers,  and  so  they  had  not  turned  dogs  loose 
there,  as  has  been  already  explained.  Seals,  sea- 
lions,  fish,  and  other  supplies  were  abundant.  There 
are  good  stations  for  anchorage  near  shore,  and 
some  reefs,  which  are  not  dangerous,  because  their 
position  is  to  be  always  seen  by  the  seas  breaking 
over  them. 


PREPARING  FOR  DEPARTURE.  135 

The  latter  part  of  August  was  spent  in  unloading 
the  stores  from  the  '  Anna.'  They  had  the  mortifi- 
cation to  find  that  most  of  the  food  was  decayed  and 
unfit  for  use,  the  vessel  having  admitted  much  water 
by  the  working  and  straining  in  bad  weather,  by 
which  some  of  the  casks  had  rotted,  and  bags  of 
rice,  flour,  and  other  eatables  soaked  through.  As 
soon  as  the  stores  worth  preserving  had  been  taken, 
the  Commodore,  in  pursuance  of  his  instructions,  sent 
notice  to  the  master  of  the  victualling  ship  that  he 
would  now  be  discharged  ;  at  the  same  time  giving 
to  him  a  certificate  specifying  how  long  he  had  been 
employed.  He  was  then  at  liberty  either  to  return 
directly  to  England,  to  make  the  best  of  his  way  to 
any  port  where  he  thought  he  might  take  in  a  cargo 
such  as  would  answer  the  interest  of  the  owners. 
But  next  day  the  master  wrote  an  answer  to  the 
Commodore,  saying  that  from  the  great  leakage  in 
the  passage  round  Cape  Horn  he  feared  that  the 
damage  to  the  ship  by  the  tempestuous  weather  had 
been  great,  and  it  was  impossible  to  venture  to  sea 
without  the  vessel  being  refitted.  He  therefore 
requested  the  Commodore  to  allow  the  carpenters  of 
the  squadron  to  examine  and  report  on  her  condi- 
tion. The  result  was  that  very  extensive  decays 
and  defects  were  discovered,  and  it  was  certified  that 
the  vessel  could  not  put  to  sea  without  first  being 
thoroughly  refitted. 

To  undertake  this  repair  under  existing  circum- 


136  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

stances  was  impossible,  as  all  the  iron  and  plank 
in  the  squadron  would  not  have  sufficed  for  the 
purpose.  Accordingly,  the  master  of  the  '  Anna  ' 
petitioned  the  Commodore,  on  behalf  of  the  owners, 
that  the  hull  and  furniture  of  the  ship  should  be 
purchased  for  the  use  of  the  squadron,  as  there  were 
not  a  few  things  which  would  be  serviceable  in 
refitting  the  other  ships.  The  Commodore  assented, 
and  an  accurate  inventory  having  been  made,  and 
the  value  of  all  articles  estimated  as  nearly  as 
possible,  an  agreement  was  made  with  Mr.  Gerard, 
the  master,  to  purchase  the  whole  for  ^300.  The 
hull  was  then  broken  up.  The  hands  belonging  to 
the  '  Anna '  were  sent  on  board  the  '  Gloucester,' 
which  had  lost  most  men  in  proportion  to  her 
complement.  Afterwards  two  or  three  were  received 
on  board  the  '  Centurion,'  at  their  own  urgent  request, 
being  averse  to  sailing  with  their  old  master,  on 
account  of  some  particular  ill-usages  they  conceived 
they  had  suffered  from  him. 

It  was  now  the  beginning  of  September.  The 
people  were  all  so  far  recovered  that  there  was 
little  danger  of  losing  more  at  present.  It  may  be 
well  therefore  here  to  give  a  brief  summary  of  the 
loss  since  leaving  England,  to  show  the  sufferings 
already  endured,  and  to  convey  some  idea  of  the 
present  strength  of  the  squadron.  On  board  the 
'  Centurion '  since  leaving  St.  Helen's  292  had  died, 
and    there    remained    on    board  214.     This  was  a 


PREPARING  FOR  DEPARTURE.  137 

most  extraordinary  mortality ;  yet  on  board  the 
*  Gloucester  '  the  death-rate  was  far  higher.  Out  of 
a  smaller  crew  the  same  number,  292,  had  died, 
and  only  82  remained  alive.  The  '  Tryal '  sloop 
had  fared  better,  for  she  buried  42,  and  39  still 
survived.  The  loss  was  chiefly  from  scurvy,  and  the 
havoc  of  this  disease  had  fallen  far  more  severely 
on  the  Chelsea  invalids  and  the  marines  than  on 
the  sailors.  On  board  the  'Centurion/  out  of  50 
invalids  and  79  marines,  there  remained  only  4 
invalids,  including  officers,  and  1 1  marines.  On 
board  the  '  Gloucester '  every  old  Chelsea  pensioner 
perished,  and  out  of  48  marines  only  2  escaped. 
From  this  account  it  appears  that  these  three  ships 
together  left  England  with  961  men  on  board,  of 
whom  626  had  died  up  to  this  time  ;  and  the  whole 
remaining  crews,  which  were  now  to  be  distributed 
amongst  three  ships,  amounted  to  not  more  than 
335,  men  and  boys  ;  a  number  greatly  insufficient 
for  the  manning  the  '  Centurion '  alone,  and  scarcely 
capable  of  navigating  the  three  ships  with  the 
utmost  exertion  of  their  strength  and  vigour. 

This  great  reduction  of  the  force  caused  the 
more  alarm  and  anxiety  as  the  Commodore  was  as 
yet  without  any  certain  knowledge  of  the  fate  of 
the  Spanish  fleet  under  Admiral  Pizarro,  and  had 
reason  to  suppose  that  some  part  of  it  at  least  had 
got  round  into  these  seas.  However  much  the 
Spaniards  might  have  suffered  in  the  passage,  every 


138  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL; 

port  in  the  South  Seas  was  open  to  them  for 
refitting,  and  for  recruiting  the  number  they  might 
have  lost.  Besides,  there  was  reason  to  expect  that 
a  force  was  to  be  sent  out  from  Callao,  the  tidings 
of  Anson's  expedition  having  long  ago  spread  in 
every  region  of  the  Spanish  world.  The  English 
squadron  was  now  not  merely  unfit  to  offer  resist- 
ance to  any  naval  force  that  might  attack  it,  far  less 
to  attempt  any  of  the  enemy's  considerable  towns  and 
fortified  places.  Such  was  the  position  of  affairs,  and 
it  might  well  raise  very  desponding  reflections  in  the 
Commodore  and  his  officers  at  Juan  Fernandez. 

The  frightful  mortality  from  scurvy  is  the  saddest 
and  most  lamentable  incident  in  the  whole  story  of 
this  expedition.  It  is  the  more  painful  to  read  of 
it,  inasmuch  as  this  once  terrible  scourge  of  sailors 
has  long  been  under  the  thorough  control  of  sanitary 
knowledge  and  medical  skill.  For  a  long  time 
after  Anson's  voyage  there  was  still  much  mystery 
as  to  the  cause  of  the  malady,  but  in  several  earlier 
voyages  facts  had  been  put  on  record  as  to  simple 
and  sufficient  methods  of  protecting  the  health  of 
the  seamen.  It  is  strange  that  the  naval  and 
medical  authorities  at  home  had  not  noted  these 
useful  experiences  of  old  navigators,  and  at  a  more 
early  period  introduced  to  the  Navy  the  knowledge 
of  the  diet  and  regimen  by  which  the  ravages  of 
scurvy  could  be  abated.  Scurvy  is,  except  under  very 
rare  and  special    conditions,  almost  banished   from 


PREPARING  FOR  DEPARTURE.  139 

our  ships.  The  surgeons  of  Anson's  ships  seem  to 
have  been  ignorant  and  unskilful  in  regard  to  the 
care  of  their  men. 

In  painful  contrast  to  the  calamities  of  Anson's 
expedition  from  this  cause  is  the  story  of  Captain 
Cook's  celebrated  first  voyage  round  the  world. 
Cook's  ship,  the  '  Resolution,'  was  out  for  nearly 
the  same  time  as  Anson's  '  Centurion,'  and  only 
about  thirty  years  later.  He  cruised  in  all  climates, 
from  5  2°  North  to  710  South,  and  was  exposed  to  all 
the  perils  of  the  sea,  but  he  did  not  lose  a  single 
man  from  scurvy  !  Out  of  his  whole  crew  he  lost 
only  four,  of  whom  two  were  drowned,  one  was  killed 
by  a  fall,  and  one  died  from  a  complicated  disease, 
the  seeds  of  which  he  brought  on  board  with  him 
in  his  bad  constitution. 

Captain  Cook's  report  of  his  voyage,  as  regards 
the  health  of  his  people,  and  the  measures  taken 
to  preserve  it,  appeared  in  a  letter  to  the  President 
of  the  Royal  Society,  then  the  celebrated  physician 
Sir  John  Pringle.  It  was  published  in  the  Philo- 
sophical Transactions  of  1776,  and  is  dated  March 
5  th  of  that  year.  It  is  a  most  interesting  and 
valuable  document,  and  worthy  of  being  studied  by 
all  who  are  interested  in  the  welfare  of  seamen, 
whether  in  the  Navy  or  in  the  Mercantile  service. 
It  does  not  treat  of  preventives  and  remedies  for 
scurvy  only,  but  gives  sensible  suggestions  on  many 
matters  of  diet,  regimen,  and  discipline. 


140  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

Since  that  time  lime-juice  has  been  introduced. 
With  this  portable  remedy,  and  by  using  due 
precautions  with  regard  to  ventilation,  cleanliness, 
diet,  and  cheerful  employment,  numerous  crews 
have  had  perfect  health  maintained,  whether  during 
long  cruises  in  tropical  seas  or  during  successive 
winters  in  Arctic  regions.  It  is  all  the  more  to  the 
honour  of  Captain  Cook  that  with  far  less  potent 
anti-scorbutic  appliances  he  managed  to  bring  his 
ship  back  to  England,  after  three  years  and  eighteen 
days,  with  a  perfectly  clean  bill  of  health.  His 
report  is  the  more  worth  recalling  from  the  contrast 
it  presents  to  the  sad  catalogue  of  woes  recorded 
in  Anson's  voyage.  So  erroneous  were  the  ideas  of 
the  disease  among  the  officers  and  surgeons  of  that 
squadron,  that  it  is  stated  in  the  official  narrative 
that  '  the  air  of  the  sea  seems  to  be  charged  with 
some  hurtful  principle,  and  that  the  cure  is  to  be 
obtained  only  by  a  change  to  the  air  of  the  land.' 


CHAPTER    XVII. 

FIRST  VENTURES  IN  THE  SOUTH  SEAS  AGAINST 
THE  SPANIARDS. 

T  N  the  beginning  of  September  the  men  were 
4-  tolerably  well  recovered,  and  the  season  for 
navigation  in  that  climate  was  drawing  near.  Every 
effort  was  therefore  made  to  get  the  ships  in  readiness 
for  the  sea.  The  fore-mast  of  the  '  Anna '  was  con- 
verted into  a  main-mast  for  the  '  Tryal '  sloop  ;  and 
the  main-mast  was  laid  aside  to  make  a  mizzen-mast 
for  the  '  Wager,'  as  the  Commodore  still  hoped  that 
she  and  other  ships  of  the  squadron  might  arrive  at 
the  island. 

All  hands  were  busily  employed  in  forwarding 
preparations  for  departure,  when  on  the  8th  of  Sep- 
tember, about  1 1  a.m.,  a  sail  was  espied  to  the  N.E., 
which  continued  to  approach  till  her  courses  appeared 
even  with  the  horizon.  There  was  a  general  expec- 
tation that  she  might  prove  one  of  the  missing  ships  ; 
but  when  she  steered  away  to  the  eastward  without 
haling  in  for  the  island  they  all  concluded  she  must 
be   a    Spaniard.     There  was   great   talk   about  the 


i42  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

matter  among  the  men,  some  saying  that  she  had 
doubtless  been  near  enough  to  discover  something 
that  gave  her  certainty  of  an  enemy  being  there, 
and  therefore  she  made  off.  The  Commodore 
promptly  determined  to  settle  all  doubts  and  surmises 
by  giving  chase,  and  the  '  Centurion  '  being  in  greatest 
forwardness,  all  hands  were  ordered  on  board,  the 
rigging  set  up,  the  sails  bent,  and  by  five  in  the 
afternoon  she  got  under  sail.  There  was  hardly  any 
wind,  so  that  all  the  boats  were  employed  to  tow  the 
•  Centurion  '  out  of  the  bay  ;  and  even  the  little  wind 
that  there  was  lasted  only  long  enough  to  give  an 
offing  of  two  or  three  leagues,  when  it  flatted  to  a 
calm.  Night  coming  on  they  lost  sight  of  the  chase, 
and  had  to  wait,  in  extreme  impatience,  for  the  return 
of  daylight.  In  the  morning,  though  the  weather 
continued  perfectly  clear,  not  a  sight  of  the  ship 
could  be  got  from  the  mast-head.  This  was  a  great 
disappointment,  for  they  were  all  satisfied  that  it  was 
an  enemy's  ship,  and  the  first  seen  in  these  seas. 

The  Commodore  had  come  to  the  conclusion,  under 
the  depression  caused  by  the  feebleness  of  his  force 
and  the  absence  of  military  stores,  that  no  larger 
enterprise  remained  for  the  fleet  than  the  capture  of 
such  vessels  as  came  in  their  way  in  these  seas. 
Here  was  the  first  of  such  ships,  and  it  had  escaped. 
He  was  resolved  not  to  give  up  the  search  too  lightly  ; 
and  just  then,  a  slight  breeze  springing  up  from  the 
W.N.W.,  they  got  up  the  top-gallant  masts  and  yards, 


FIRST  VENTURES  IN  THE  SOUTH  SEAS.     143 

set  all  sails,  and  steered  to  theS.E.,in  hope  of  re-sighting 
the  ship,  which  he  imagined  to  be  bound  for  Val- 
paraiso. All  that  day,  and  the  next,  the  same  course 
was  continued  ;  and  then,  as  no  sight  of  the  chase 
was  obtained,  they  conceived  that  by  this  time,  having 
so  good  a  start,  she  must  have  reached  her  port. 

It  was  therefore  resolved  to  return  to  Juan  Fer- 
nandez, and  with  that  view  they  haled  up  to  the  S.W., 
having  very  little  wind  until  the  1 2th  of  the  month, 
when  at  three  in  the  morning  there  sprang  up  a  fresh 
gale  from  the  W.S.W.,  which  obliged  them  to  tack 
and  stand  to  the  N.W.  At  daybreak  they  were 
agreeably  surprised  by  the  sight  of  a  sail  on  their 
weather-bow,  between  four  and  five  leagues  distant. 
All  sail  was  immediately  crowded,  and  as  they  stood 
after  her  they  soon  perceived  it  was  not  the  same 
ship  that  they  had  previously  given  chase  to.  She 
at  once  bore  down  upon  the  '  Centurion,'  showing 
Spanish  colours,  and  making  a  signal,  as  if  to  her 
own  consort  ;  but  on  observing  that  her  signal  was 
not  answered  she  instantly  loofed  close  to  the  wind, 
and  stood  to  the  southward.  The  '  Centurion's  '  men 
were  now  all  in  high  spirits,  and  put  about  the  ship 
with  great  briskness.  As  the  chase  appeared  to  be  a 
large  ship,  and  had  mistaken  the  '  Centurion '  for  her 
consort,  it  was  supposed  she  was  a  man-of-war,  and 
probably  one  of  Pizarro's  squadron.  This  induced 
the  Commodore  to  order  all  the  officers'  cabins  to  be 
knocked  down  and  thrown  overboard,  with  several 


144  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

casks  of  water  and  stores  which  stood  between  the 
guns,  so  as  to  have  the  ship  all  clear  and  ready  for 
an  engagement. 

For  a  short  time  there  was  hazy  weather  and  rain, 
during  which  the  sight  of  the  chase  was  lost,  and 
fears  were  entertained  that  if  dull  weather  should 
continue  she  might,  by  going  upon  the  other  tack, 
or  by  some  other  artifice,  make  her  escape.  But  in 
less  than  an  hour  the  sky  cleared,  and  it  was  seen 
that  the  '  Centurion '  had  both  weathered  and  fore- 
reached  upon  her  considerably ;  and  they  were  near 
enough  to  discover  she  was  only  a  merchantman, 
without  so  much  as  a  single  tier  of  guns.  About 
half-past  twelve  the  distance  was  reduced  so  as  to 
allow  four  shot  being  fired  amongst  her  rigging ; 
upon  which  they  lowered  their  top-sails,  and  bore 
down  to  the  '  Centurion,'  but  in  great  confusion, 
their  top-gallant  sails  and  sky-sails  all  fluttering  in 
the  wind,  owing  to  their  having  let  run  their  sheets 
and  halyards  just  as  the  four  shot  came  upon  them  ; 
after  which  not  a  man  had  courage  enough  to  venture 
aloft  to  take  them  in. 

As  soon  as  the  vessel  came  within  hale,  the 
Commodore  ordered  them  to  bring  to  under  his 
lee-quarter ;  and  then  hoisted  out  the  boats,  and 
sent  Mr.  Saumarez,  his  first  lieutenant,  to  take 
possession  of  the  prize,  with  directions  to  send  all 
the  prisoners  on  board  the  '  Centurion,'  beginning 
with  the  officers  and  the  passengers. 


FIRST  VENTURES  IN  THE  SOUTH  SEAS.     145 

When  Lieutenant  Saumarez  stepped  on  board 
he  was  received  with  every  token  of  most  abject 
submission,  for  they  were  all,  especially  the  pas- 
sengers, in  extreme  terror,  and  under  the  greatest 
apprehension  of  meeting  with  severe  and  cruel 
treatment,  as  such  is  too  generally  the  custom  with 
Spaniards  towards  their  enemies.  The  lieutenant 
at  once,  with  great  courtesy,  endeavoured  to 
dissipate  their  fears  ;  assuring  them  that  these  were 
groundless,  and  that  in  the  Commodore  they  would 
find  a  generous  foe,  who  was  not  less  remarkable 
for  his  lenity  and  humanity  than  for  his  resolution 
and  courage.    . 

The  prisoners  who  were  first  sent  on  board  the 
1  Centurion '  informed  the  Commodore  that  the 
prize  was  called  '  Nuestra  Seilora  del  Monte 
Carmelo'  (Our  Lady  of  Mount  Carmel),  and  was 
commanded  by  Don  Manuel  Zamorra.  Her  cargo 
consisted  of  sugar  and  of  woollen  cloth,  with  some 
cotton  bales,  tobacco,  and  other  sundries.  These 
were  the  principal  commercial  goods,  but  a  more 
welcome  and  valuable  prize  was  the  discovery  of 
several  chests  of  plate,  and  a  large  quantity  of 
silver  dollars.  The  ship's  burden  was  about 
450  tons  ;  she  had  fifty-three  sailors  on  board,  both 
whites  and  blacks  ;  she  came  from  Callao,  and  had 
been  twenty-seven  days  at  sea  before  she  was  taken. 
She  was  bound  to  Valparaiso,  in  Chili,  where  she 
intended  to  load  with  corn,   wine,  dried   beef,    and 

10 


146  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

small  cordage,  which  at  Callao  they  convert  into 
larger  rope.  The  ship,  though  thirty  years  old, 
was  in  good  condition,  for  these  ships  only  put  to 
sea  in  the  summer  months.  The  rigging  was 
indifferent,  as  were  likewise  the  sails,  which  were 
made  of  cotton.  She  had  only  three  four-pounders, 
altogether  unserviceable,  the  gun-carriages  being 
scarcely  able  to  support  them  ;  and  there  were  no 
small  arms  on  board,  except  a  few  pistols  belong- 
ing to  passengers.  The  prisoners  reported  that  they 
left  Callao  in  company  with  two  other  ships, 
with  whom  they  had  parted  some  days  before  they 
sighted  the  '  Centurion,'  which  they  mistook  for 
one  of  their  consorts.  By  the  description  it  was 
certain  that  it  was  one  of  these  that  the  '  Centurion ' 
had  first  chased  ;  their  coming  in  sight  of  the  island 
scared  them,  having  been  warned  not  to  approach 
it,  as  being  the  probable  place  of  rendezvous  of  the 
English  squadron,  of  which  all  had  heard  in  those 
parts  of  the  world  by  this   time. 

What  was  more  important  was,  that  the  Com- 
modore now  learned  for  certain,  both  from  the 
passengers  and  from  letters  and  papers  found  in 
the  prize,  that  the  powerful  squadron  under  Pizarro 
had  been  on  the  look-out  for  the  English  ships. 
He  also  learned  that  the  Spanish  Admiral  had  met 
with  as  great  disasters  as  the  English  fleet ;  having 
had  to  put  back  again  into  the  River  La  Plata  with 
the    loss   of  two  of  his    largest    ships.     Moreover, 


FIRST  VENTURES  IN  THE  SOUTH  SEAS.     147 


although  for  a  time  the  Governor  of  Peru  had 
warned  all  vessels  not  to  put  to  sea  on  account 
of  Anson's  expedition,  yet  now,  after  so  long  a  time 
had  elapsed  without  any  tidings  of  them  on  the 
coast,  it  was  supposed  that  they  must  have  been 
lost,  and  the  embargo  sending  merchant  ships  to  sea 
had  been  taken  off.  This  was  so  far  good  news,  as 
the  Commodore,  notwithstanding  the  diminution  of 
his  force,  might  still  hope  to  make  valuable  captures, 
and  thereby  in  part  indemnify  himself  for  the  dis- 
appointment as  to  attempts  on  Spanish  settlements 
on  shore. 

There  had  been  a  narrow  escape  after  all ;  for  the 
Governor  of  Peru,  on  the  recommendation  of  Pizarro, 
had  fitted  out  and  sent  to  Juan  Fernandez  a  fleet 
consisting  of  one  fifty-gun  ship,  two  of  forty  guns, 
and  one  of  twenty-four  guns.  Three  of  these  were 
stationed  off  the  port  of  Concepcion,  and  the  fourth 
at  Juan  Fernandez,  for  the  purpose  of  intercepting 
the  English  squadron,  and  attacking  the  ships 
singly  before  they  could  join  again.  They  con- 
tinued to  cruise  off  the  coast  till  the  6th  of  June, 
and  only  retired  on  concluding  that  the  English  had 
either  perished  or  been  driven  back.  If  Anson 
had  got  to  the  island  at  the  end  of  May,  as  he 
expected,  he  could  have  made  a  poor  defence 
if  attacked  by  Spaniards  in  fresh  condition,  and 
well-armed.  But  the  delay  caused  by  haling  in 
for   the   main   to    secure    the   easting   for    reaching 


FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 


the  island,  though  regretted  at  the  time  on  account 
of  the  numbers  lost  by  prolonged  continuance  at 
sea,  proved  a  fortunate  delay  after  all.  The 
Spaniards,  tired  out  with  waiting,  left  only  a  few 
days  before  the  l  Centurion  '  dropped  anchor  ;  and 
this  accounted  for  the  broken  jars,  ashes  of  fires, 
fish-bones,  and  other  marks  of  recent  sojourners  on 
the  island.  One  additional  piece  of  information 
the  prisoners  gave,  that  the  Spanish  ships,  on 
returning  to  Callao,  were  found  to  be  so  much 
damaged  during  their  cruise  that  they  had  been  laid 
up  for  repair,  and  it  must  be  at  least  two  months 
before  their  armament  could  be  again  fitted  out. 
All  this  was  very  satisfactory  information,  and  gave 
new  hopes  to  the  Commodore  and  his  people. 

The  prisoners  being  now  all  on  board  the  '  Cen- 
turion,' she  made  sail  to  the  northward,  accompanied 
by  her  prize,  and  next  morning  they  sighted  Juan 
Fernandez,  and  came  to  anchor  in  the  bay.  The 
Spaniards  could  not  help  loudly  expressing  their 
astonishment  on  beholding  the  condition  of  the 
squadron,  after  all  the  distresses  they  knew  had 
been  gone  through.  They  wondered  that  any  of 
the  ships  had  ever  weathered  such  storms,  and  that 
so  many  of  the  crew  had  survived  the  frightful  sick- 
ness of  so  long  a  period  ;  but  their  amazement  rose 
to  the  highest  pitch  on  seeing  the  '  Tryal '  sloop  at 
anchor,  all  in  trim  and  serviceable  order.  They 
said  they  were  surprised  that,  after  all  the  fatigue 


FIRST  VENTURES  IN  THE  SOUTH  SEAS.     149 

and  calamities  endured,  the  English  had  the  strength 
and  industry  to  build  this  beautiful  new  ship  on 
the  spot.  Nor  was  it  without  much  difficulty  they 
were  persuaded  to  believe  that  she  came  from 
England  with  the  rest  of  the  squadron  ;  they  long 
insisting  that  it  was  impossible  for  such  a  slender 
bauble  to  pass  round  Cape  Horn  when  the  best 
war-ships  of  Spain  were  obliged  to  put  back. 

On  arriving  at  Juan  Fernandez  the  letters  found 
on  board  the  prize  were  more  minutely  examined. 
From  them  it  appeared  that  several  other  merchant- 
men had  left  Callao  for  Valparaiso  ;  so  the  Commo- 
dore despatched  the  '  Tryal '  the  very  next  morning 
to  cruise  off  Valparaiso,  reinforcing  the  crew  with 
ten  hands  from  his  own  ship.  He  resolved  also, 
now  that  he  knew  there  was  no  formidable  Spanish 
squadron  in  these  seas,  to  divide  the  ships  under  his 
command  and  employ  them  in  separate  cruises,  so 
as  not  only  to  increase  the  chance  for  prizes,  but 
also  thus  to  run  less  risk  of  alarming  the  enemy's 
coast.  Every  preparation  was  eagerly  made  for 
these  enterprises,  and  during  the  week  that  was  thus 
spent  the  Commodore  directed  that  the  guns  that 
belonged  to  the  '  Anna,'  viz.,  four  six-pounders,  four 
four-pounders,  and  two  swivels,  should  be  mounted 
on  board  the  prize,  the  '  Carmelo.'  He  also  sent  on 
board  the  '  Gloucester '  six  Spanish  passengers  and 
twenty-three  seamen,  to  assist  in  navigating  the 
ship.     He  directed  Captain  Mitchell  to  start  as  soon 


150  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

as  possible  towards  the  latitude  of  five  degrees  south, 
and  to  cruise  off  the  high  land  of  Paita,  keeping  at 
such  a  distance  from  shore  as  not  to  be  descried. 
On  this  station  he  was  to  continue  till  he  should  be 
joined  by  the  '  Centurion,'  which  would  be  whenever 
it  was  known  that  the  Viceroy  had  fitted  out  the 
war-ships  at  Callao,  or  the  receiving  of  any  other 
intelligence  making  it  desirable  to  concentrate  the 
force  of  the  squadron.  These  orders  being  delivered 
to  Captain  Mitchell  of  the  '  Gloucester,'  on  Saturday 
the  1 9th  of  September,  the  •  Centurion  '  weighed 
anchor,  and,  in  company  with  its  prize,  got  out  of 
the  bay ;  the  Commodore  then  taking  his  last  leave, 
as  he  thought,  of  Juan  Fernandez,  and  steering  to 
the  eastward,  with  the  intention  of  joining  the 
'  Tryal '  in   her  station   off  Valparaiso. 


CHAPTER    XVIII. 

THE  'CENTURION'S'   CRUISE  AFTER  LEAVING 
JUAN  FERNANDEZ— MORE  PRIZES. 

/HTVHE  '  Centurion/  with  her  prize  the  '  Carmelo,' 
■*•  weighed  from  the  bay  on  the  north  of  Juan 
Fernandez  on  the  19th  of  September  ;  yet  it  was 
the  22  nd  of  the  month  before  they  lost  sight  of  the 
island,  owing  to  the  irregularity  and  fluctuation  of 
the  winds  in  the  offing.  After  that  the  course  was 
continued  eastward,  to  reach  the  cruising  place  of 
the  '  Tryal '  off  Valparaiso.  On  the  evening  of  the 
24th,  a  little  before  sunset,  two  sails  were  seen  to 
the  eastward.  The  '  Carmelo  '  was  ordered  to  stand 
directly  from  the  '  Centurion,'  to  avoid  any  suspicion 
of  being  cruisers  in  company,  and  the  Commodore 
steered  with  all  canvas  towards  the  ships  descried, 
and  got  ready  for  an  engagement.  One  of  these 
ships,  which  had  the  appearance  of  being  a  large 
strong  vessel,  made  directly  for  the  '  Centurion,' 
whilst  the  other  kept  at  a  great  distance.  By  seven 
o'clock  the  '  Centurion '  was  within  pistol-shot  of 
the  nearest,  and  had  a  broadside  ready  to  pour  into 
her,  the  gunners  having  their  matches  in  their  hands, 


152  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

and  only  waiting  for  orders  to  fire.  The  Com- 
modore, knowing  it  was  now  impossible  for  her 
to  escape,  ordered  the  master  to  hail  the  ship  in 
Spanish,  upon  which  an  answer  came  in  English 
from  the  commanding  officer  on  board  her,  who 
proved  to  be  Mr.  Hughes,  Lieutenant  of  the  '  Tryal.' 
He  soon  explained  that  his  ship  was  a  prize  taken 
by  the  '  Tryal '  a  few  days  before,  and  now  under 
his  charge.  Soon  after  the  '  Tryal '  came  up,  and 
Captain  Saunders,  her  Commander,  came  on  board 
the  '  Centurion.'  He  told  the  Commodore  that  he 
had  taken  the  prize  on  the  1 8th  ;  that  she  was  a 
prime  sailer,  and  had  cost  him  thirty-six  hours'  chase 
before  he  could  come  up  to  her.  For  a  long  time 
he  gained  so  little  upon  her  that  he  almost  gave  up 
hope  of  taking  her ;  and  the  Spaniards,  though 
alarmed  at  first  with  seeing  nothing  but  a  cloud  of 
sail  in  pursuit  of  them,  the  hull  of  the  '  Tryal '  being 
so  low  in  the  water  that  no  part  of  it  appeared,  yet, 
knowing  the  speed  of  their  ship,  they  must  have  soon 
recovered  their  sense  of  security.  When  night  came 
on  they  altered  their  course,  and  shut  up  their 
windows  to  prevent  any  lights  being  visible,  but  it 
so  happened  that  there  was  a  crack  or  crevice  in 
one  of  the  shutters,  the  light  from  which  sufficed  to 
be  a  mark  for  the  '  Tryal '  to  keep  up  the  chase,  till 
they  at  length  arrived  within  gun-shot.  Then 
Captain  Saunders  alarmed  them  unexpectedly  with 
a  broadside,  when  they  flattered  themselves  they  had 


THE  'CENTURION'S'    CRUISE.  153 

given  him  the  slip  and  were  far  out  of  reach.  How- 
ever, they  kept  the  same  sail  abroad,  and  it  was  not 
observed  that  this  first  salute  had  made  any  impres- 
sion on  them  ;  but  just  as  the  '  Tryal '  was  preparing 
to  repeat  her  broadside,  the  Spaniards  lowered  their 
sails  and  submitted  without  any  resistance. 

She  was  one  of  the  largest  merchantmen  employed 
in  those  seas,  being  about  600  tons  burthen,  and  was 
called  the  '  Arranzazu.'  She  was  bound  from  Callao 
to  Valparaiso,  and  had  much  the  same  cargo  as  the 
'  Carmelo '  had,  except  that  there  was  very  little 
silver  on  board,  amounting  only  to  about  .£5,000 
sterling. 

To  balance  this  success  the  Commodore  had  the 
grief  to  learn  that  the  '  Tryal '  was  in  bad  condition, 
having  had  the  misfortune  to  have  sprung  her  main- 
mast, and  that  her  main-top  mast  had  come  by  the 
board  ;  and  on  the  morning  following,  a  fresh  gale 
coming  on,  she  had  the  additional  ill-luck  to  spring 
her  fore-mast ;  so  that  now  she  had  not  a  mast  left 
on  which  sail  could  be  carried.  The  wind  continued 
to  blow  so  hard,  and  raised  such  a  sea,  that  the 
Commodore  could  not  hoist  out  a  boat  to  send 
assistance,  and  could  only  lie  to  for  the  greatest  part 
of  the  forty-eight  hours,  so  as  not  to  leave  her  in 
her  present  disabled  condition.  This  was  the  more 
annoying  that  the  '  Centurion '  was  all  the  while 
driving  to  the  leeward  of  her  proposed  station,  and 
Spanish   ships    that    might    have    been    intercepted 


154  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

would  now  gain  the  port  of  Valparaiso  without 
obstruction. 

The  weather  gradually  becoming  more  moderate, 
the  Commodore  sent  his  boat  on  the  27th  for  the 
Captain  of  the  '  Tryal '  to  come  again  on  board  the 
'  Centurion.'  Captain  Saunders  brought  with,  hirri  a 
paper,  signed  by  himself  and  all  his  officers,  repre- 
senting that  the  '  Tryal '  was  so  leaky  in  her  hull 
that  the  pumps  had  to  be  plied  constantly,  and  could 
scarcely  keep  her  free  in  the  quietest  weather  ;  while 
in  the  late  gale  the  water  so  increased  upon  them, 
though  all  hands  by  turns  were  at  the  pumps,  and  if 
they  encountered  much  bad  weather  they  feared  they 
must  all  inevitably  perish.  Therefore  they  petitioned 
the  Commodore  to  consider  what  measures  could  be 
taken  for  their  safety. 

The  Commodore  at  once  saw  that  the  repairing 
of  so  great  defects  was  an  undertaking  greatly 
beyond  his  power  under  existing  circumstances  ;  for 
there  were  no  masts  to  spare  her,  and  no  stores  to 
complete  her  rigging ;  nor  was  there  any  port  at 
hand  where  she  could  be  hove  down  to  get  the  hull 
examined.  Even  if  there  had  been  a  port,  and 
proper  requisites  for  repairs,  it  would  not  have  been 
advisable,  in  so  critical  a  conjuncture,  to  devote  so 
much  time  as  would  be  necessary  for  the  operations. 

There  was  no  course  left  to  the  Commodore  but  to 
destroy  the  '  Tryal '  and  take  out  her  people.  How- 
ever, as  it  would  be  expedient  to  keep  up  the  appear- 


THE  'CENTURION'S'    CRUISE.  155 

ancc  of  their  force  the  Commodore  appointed  the 
'  Tryal's '  prize  (which  had  been  often  employed  by 
the  Viceroy  of  Peru  as  a  war-ship)  to  be  a  frigate  in 
His  Majesty's  service,  manning  her  with  the  '  Tryal's  ' 
crew,  and  giving  commissions  to  the  captain  and  all 
the  officers  accordingly. 

This  new  frigate,  added  to  the  British  Navy,  had 
mounted  thirty-two  guns  ;  but  she  was  now  to  have 
only  twenty,  which  were  the  twelve  on  board  the 
1  Tryal '  and  eight  that  had  belonged  to  the  '  Anna.' 
She  carried  no  guns  when  engaged  as  a  merchantman, 
but  only  when  she  had  been  on  service  for  the  Viceroy. 
This  affair  having  been  thus  settled,  orders  were 
given  to  Captain  Saunders  to  take  out  of  the  sloop 
the  arms,  ammunition,  stores,  and  whatever  might  be 
of  any  use  to  the  other  ships,  and  then  to  scuttle  her 
and  sink  her.  After  seeing  her  destroyed,  Captain 
Saunders,  with  his  new  frigate,  to  be  called  the  '  Tryal 
Prize,'  was  to  proceed  to  cruise  off  Valparaiso,  keep- 
ing the  heights  above  the  city  at  the  distance  of 
twelve  or  fourteen  leagues  N.N.W.  This  was  done 
because  all  ships  from  Valparaiso  to  the  northward 
steer  that  course,  and  the  Commodore  sought  to 
stop  any  intelligence  that  might  be  despatched  to 
Callao,  giving  alarm,  through  two  of  their  ships 
being  missing,  as  to  the  English  squadron  being 
in  their  neighbourhood.  The  '  Tryal  Prize '  was  to 
continue  on  that  station  twenty-four  days,  and  if  not 
joined  by  the  Commodore  was  to  proceed  down  the 


156  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

coast  to  Pisco  or  Nasca.  The  Commodore  also  gave 
orders  to  Lieutenant  Saumarez,  now  in  command  of 
the  '  Centurion's '  prize,  the  '  Carmelo,'  to  keep  com- 
pany with  Captain  Saunders,  both  to  assist  in  un- 
loading the  sloop  and  by  spreading  in  their  cruise 
to  afford  less  chance  of  Spanish  vessels  slipping 
by  unobserved.  These  orders  being  despatched, 
the  Commodore,  with  the  'Centurion,'  parted  from 
the  other  ships  in  the  evening  of  September  27th, 
steering  to  the  southward  with  the  view  of  cruising 
for  some  days  to  the  windward  of  Valparaiso. 

By  this  disposition  of  the  ships  the  best  advantage 
possible  for  so  small  a  force  was  gained.  For  the 
1  Gloucester'  also  by  this  time  might  be  supposed  to 
be  drawing  near  the  high  land  of  Paita,  and  thus 
the  small  fleet  was  so  stationed  as  to  intercept  all 
vessels  passing  either  between  Peru  and  Chili  to 
the  southward,  or  between  Panama  and  Peru  to  the 
northward  ;  since  the  chief  trade  from  Peru  to  Chili 
being  carried  on  at  the  port  of  Valparaiso,  the 
'  Centurion '  cruising  to  the  windward  of  that  port 
would  in  all  probability  meet  with  them,  the  practice 
being  for  merchantmen  to  fall  in  with  the  coast 
to  the  windward  of  Valparaiso.  The  '  Gloucester ' 
would  in  like  manner  be  in  the  path  of  trade  bound 
from  Panama  or  the  northward  to  any  part  of  Peru, 
the  high  land  off  which  her  station  was  appointed 
being  made  by  every  ship  on  that  voyage.  And  while 
the  '  Centurion  '  and  '  Gloucester '  were  thus  inter- 


THE  'CENTURION'S'    CRUISE.  157 

rupting  the  Spaniards'  trade,  the  '  Centurion's '  prize 
and  the  '  Tryal's '  prize  were  so  posted  as  to  intercept 
ships  from  Valparaiso  to  the  northward,  such  ships 
being  likely  to  carry  to  Peru  an  account  of  the 
English  being  in  those  seas. 

These  dispositions  were  admirable,  but  the  distress 
of  the  •  Tryal '  was  unfortunate  not  only  in  extent 
but  in  the  time  of  its  occurring,  for  opportunity  was 
given  to  all  ships  bound  for  Valparaiso  to  reach  that 
port  without  molestation. 

Between  the  29th  of  September,  when  the  'Cen- 
turion left  Captain  Saunders,  and  the  6th  of  October 
not  a  single  sail  was  sighted.  As  it  seemed  useless 
to  stay  longer,  the  Commodore  proceeded  to  join 
the  two  prizes  off  the  high  land  where  they  had 
been  ordered  to  cruise.  Not  finding  them  there  he 
proceeded  down  the  coast  to  the  second  rendezvous, 
off  the  high  land  of  Nasca,  where  Captain  Saunders 
had  been  directed  to  join  the  '  Centurion.'  This 
station  was  reached  on  the  21st  of  October,  yet  no 
sail  was  seen  till  the  2nd  of  November,  when  two 
ships  appeared  in  sight  together.  Immediately 
chase  was  given,  when  it  turned  out  that  these  were 
the  two  prizes.  As  they  had  the  wind  of  the 
■  Centurion,'  she  brought  to  and  waited  their  coming 
up.  Captain  Saunders  came  on  board,  and  reported 
to  the  Commodore  that  he  had,  according  to  orders, 
scuttled  the  '  Tryal '  sloop,  and  remained  by  her 
till  she  sank,  which  was  rather  a  tedious  affair,  the 


158  FROM  MIDDY  TO' ADMIRAL. 

hull,  without  masts  or  sails  to  steady  her,  rolling 
and  pitching  so  violently  that  no  boat  could  with 
safety  stay  near  her  to  effect  the  scuttling.  During 
this  attendance  on  the  sloop  they  were  all  drifted 
so  far  to  the  north-west  that  they  were  obliged  to 
stretch  a  long  way  to  the  westward  to  regain  their 
station,  which  was  the  reason  of  not  meeting  as 
expected.  Captain  Saunders  had  also  been  unfor- 
tunate in  not  seeing  a  single  vessel  since  separating 
from  the  Commodore. 

This  disappearance  of  vessels  from  the  seas  led 
to  the  belief  that  the  Spaniards,  missing  the  two 
ships  taken  as  prizes,  had  suspected  the  presence  of 
enemies,  and  had  consequently  again  laid  an  embargo 
on  all  the  trade  in  the  southern  parts.  The 
Commodore  also  apprehended  that  they  might  be 
fitting  out  the  men-of-war  at  Callao,  for  he  knew  it 
was  not  an  uncommon  thing  for  an  express  from 
Valparaiso  to  reach  Lima  in  about  thirty  days,  and 
it  was  now  fifty  since  the  first  prize  had  been  taken. 
These  considerations  led  the  Commodore  to  resolve 
to  hasten  down  to  the  leeward  of  Callao,  and  to 
join  Captain  Mitchell  of  the  '  Gloucester,'  who  was 
stationed  off  Paita,  so  that  they  might  be  ready  to 
give  the  Viceroy's  ships  from  Callao  a  warm  recep- 
tion if  they  did  put  to  sea. 

That  same  afternoon,  therefore,  the  Commodore 
bore  away,  taking  particular  care  to  keep  at  such 
a  distance  from  the  coast  that  there  might  be  no 


THE  'CENTURION'S'    CRUISE.  159 

danger  of  being  discovered  from  thence ;  for  he 
knew  that  all  the  country  vessels  were  ordered, 
under  the  severest  penalty,  not  to  sail  past  the  port 
of  Callao  without  stopping.  As  this  order  was 
constantly  complied  with,  a  ship  seeming  to  act 
contrary  to  it  would  be  suspected  to  be  a  stranger 
and  an  enemy.  In  this  new  station  the  Commodore 
took  on  board  the  •  Centurion '  part  of  his  crew, 
which  he  had  formerly  given  up  to  man  the 
1  Carmelo,'  being  uncertain  whether  he  might  not 
soon  meet  with  the  Spanish  squadron  from  Callao. 
On  the  5  th  of  November,  in  the  afternoon,  the 
high  land  of  Barranca,  latitude  io°  36'  south,  was 
in  view,  distant  eight  or  nine  leagues  N.E.  by  E. 
Soon  afterward,  between  four  and  five  o'clock,  a 
sail  was  seen.  She  first  appeared  to  leeward,  and 
all  three  vessels  gave  her  chase,  but  the  '  Centurion  ' 
so  much  outsailed  the  two  prizes  that  she  soon  ran 
them  out  of  sight,  and  gained  considerably  on  the 
chase.  Night  came  on  before  she  could  be  over- 
taken, and  shortly  after  she  was  lost  sight  of.  The 
Commodore  resolved,  being  then  before  the  wind, 
to  keep  all  his  sails  set  and  not  change  his  course. 
The  Spaniard  would  doubtless  alter  her  course  in 
the  night ;  yet  as  it  was  uncertain  what  tack  she 
might  go  upon  it  was  thought  prudent  to  keep  on, 
rather  than  change  the  course  on  conjecture,  when 
if  a  mistake  was  made  the  loss  was  certain.  So  the 
chase   was   continued  for   about   two  hours   in   the 


160  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

dark,  when  Mr.  Brett,  the  second  lieutenant,  dis- 
covered her  about  four  points  on  the  larboard  bow, 
steering  off  to  the  seaward.  The  '  Centurion's'  helm 
was  immediately  clapped  a-weather,  and  standing  for 
her  came  up  within  range  in  less  than  an  hour,  when, 
after  firing  fourteen  shot  at  her,  she  struck. 

The  third  lieutenant,  Mr.  Dennis,  was  sent  in  the 
boat,  with  sixteen  men,  to  take  possession  of  the 
prize,  and  to  bring  the  prisoners  to  the  '  Centurion.' 
This  vessel  was  the  '  Santa  Teresa,'  of  about  300 
tons,  commanded  by  Bartolome  Urranaga,  a  Bis- 
cayer.  She  was  bound  to  Callao  from  Guiaquil, 
where  she  was  built.  Her  cargo  consisted  of  timber, 
cocoa,  hides,  Pito  thread  made  from  grass  fibre, 
tobacco,  and  sundries ;  the  specie  on  board  not 
being  above  £170  sterling  value.  The  cargo,  it  is 
true,  was  valuable,  could  it  have  been  disposed  of ; 
but  the  Spaniards  were  ordered  never  to  ransom 
their  ships,  so  that  all  goods  captured  were  of  no 
advantage  except  what  little  could  be  made  use  of, 
as  tobacco,  and  such  stores. 

Besides  the  crew  of  this  prize,  amounting  to  forty- 
five  hands,  there  were  on  board  ten  passengers,  four 
men  and  three  women,  natives  of  the  country,  born 
of  Spanish  parents,  together  with  three  black  slaves. 
The  women  were  a  mother  and  two  daughters,  the 
elder  about  twenty-one,  and  the  younger  about 
fourteen.  They  were  excessively  alarmed  at  falling 
into  the  hands  of  an   enemy,   both   from  the   just 


THE  'CENTURION'S'    CRUISE.  161 

terror  due  to  the  outrages  of  the  buccaneers,  and 
also  because  they  had  been  taught  by  their  priests 
that  all  heretics  were  terrible  and  cruel  savages. 
They  hid  themselves  while  the  officers  and  men  first 
came  on  board,  and  when  they  were  found  it  was 
with  great  difficulty  that  Lieutenant  Dennis  could 
persuade  them  to  approach  the  light.  However,  he 
soon  satisfied  them,  by  the  humanity  and  kindness 
of  his  conduct,  and  by  his  assurances  of  his  protec- 
tion, and  of  their  honourable  treatment,  that  they 
had  nothing  to  fear.  On  hearing  of  this  the  Com- 
modore was  much  pleased,  and  sent  directions  that 
they  should  be  continued  on  board  their  own  ship, 
and  there  receive  every  attention  and  consideration. 
To  give  them  further  assurance,  and  to  secure  his 
orders  being  fully  attended  to,  he  permitted  the 
Pilot,  who  in  Spanish  ships  is  generally  the  second 
in  rank  when  on  board,  to  stay  in  the  'Teresa' 
with  them  as  their  guardian.  By  this  compassionate 
and  considerate  behaviour  of  the  Commodore  the 
terror  of  the  female  prisoners  was  entirely  removed, 
and  they  continued  to  be  at  ease  during  the  whole 
time  they  were  in  the  hands  of  the  '  heretics.' 

At  the  beginning  of  the  chase  the  '  Centurion,' 
having  outrun  her  two  consorts,  had  to  lay  by  all 
the  night  after  the  prize  was  taken — firing  guns  and 
making  fire  signals  every  half-hour  lest  Captain 
Saunders  and  Lieutenant  Saumarez  should  pass  on 
unobserved  ;  but  they  were  so  far  astern  that  they 

II 


162  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

neither  saw  nor  heard  any  signals,  and  were  not 
able  to  join  till  broad  daylight.  Then  they  all 
proceeded  together  to  the  northward,  being  four  sail 
in  company. 

There  being  a  supply  of  timber  on  board  the  new 
prize,  the  Commodore  ordered  all  the  boats  to  be 
repaired,  and  a  swivel  gun-stock  to  be  fixed  in  the 
bow  both  of  the  barge  and  pinnace,  to  increase  their 
strength  in  case  they  had  to  be  used  for  boarding 
ships   at  sea,   or   for  any   attempts   on    shore. 

As  they  advanced  it  was  found  that  a  strong 
current  set  them  northward,  at  the  rate  of  ten  or 
twelve  miles  each  day.  At  about  eight  degrees  of 
south  latitude  they  were  attended  by  vast  numbers 
of  flying  fish  and  bonitos,  and  the  range  of  these 
was  much  greater  on  the  west  than  on  the  east  side 
of  South  America,  the  numbers  continuing  till  near 
the  southern  tropic,  whereas  on  the  opposite  side 
they  did  not  come  so  far  towards  the  equator.  The 
cool  air  from  the  presence  of  the  lofty  ranges  of 
mountains  caused  the  temperature  to  be  very  toler- 
able, in  latitudes  where  without  their  influence  the 
heat  would  have  been  oppressive,  looking  at  latitude 
only.  But  in  a  very  short  run  the  difference  be- 
tween the  temperate  air  of  Peru  and  the  sultry 
West  Indian  atmosphere  was  painfully  striking,  the 
high  lands  on  the  Isthmus  of  Panama  being  but  as 
molehills   to   the   lofty  ranges   of  the  Andes. 


CHAPTER    XIX. 

CAPTURE   OF  THE   TOWN  OF  PAITA,  AND 
WHAT  HAPPENED   THERE. 

f~\  N  the  i  oth  of  November  the  '  Centurion '  and 
^-^  her  consorts,  were  about  three  leagues  south  of 
the  island  of  'Lobos  de  le  Mar,'  in  latitude  6°  27' 
south.  There  is  another  island  not  far  off  to  the 
northward,  much  resembling  it  in  shape  and  appear- 
ance, and  often  mistaken  for  it,  called  Lobos  de  Tierra. 
As  they  were  near  the  station  appointed  for  meeting 
the  '  Gloucester,'  and  fearing  to  miss  her,  easy  sail 
was  made  all  night.  Next  morning,  at  daybreak,  a 
ship  was  seen  in  shore  and  to  windward,  plying  up 
the  coast.  She  had  passed  under  cover  of  the  night 
and,  being  soon  discovered  not  to  be  the  '  Gloucester,' 
chase  was  given.  The  wind  being  extremely  slight, 
the  Commodore  ordered  the  '  Centurion's  '  barge,  his 
own  pinnace,  and  the  '  Tryal's '  pinnace,  to  be 
manned  and  armed  to  pursue  the  chase  and  board 
her.  Lieutenant  Brett,  who  commanded  the  barge, 
came  up  with  her  first  about  nine  o'clock,  and  run- 
ning alongside  of  her,  fired  a  volley  of  small  shot 


1 64  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

between  the  masts,  just  over  the  heads  of  the  people 
on  board,  and  then  instantly  entered  with  the  greatest 
part  of  his  men.  The  enemy  made  not  the  least  re- 
sistance, being  sufficiently  frightened  by  the  volley  of 
shot  and  by  the  gleaming  of  the  cutlasses. 

The  lieutenant  ordered  the  sail  to  be  trimmed  and 
bore  down  to  the  Commodore,  taking  up  in  his  way 
the  two  pinnaces.  When  within  about  four  miles 
of  the  •  Centurion  '  he  put  off  in  the  barge,  bringing 
with  him  a  number  of  the  prisoners,  from  whom  he 
had  gathered  some  intelligence  which  he  was  anxious 
as  soon  as  possible  to  convey  to  the  Commodore. 

On  his  arrival  it  was  made  known  that  the  prize 
was  called  '  Nuestra  Senora  del  Carmin,'  Our  Lady 
of  Carmin,  of  about  270  tons  ;  that  she  was  com- 
manded by  Marco  Morena,  a  Venetian,  and  had  a 
crew  of  forty-three  sailors.  She  was  deeply  laden 
with  iron,  steel,  wax,  pepper,  cedar,  cinnamon,  and 
other  merchandise,  including  rosaries  and  indulgences. 
This  cargo  was  not  of  great  use  to  the  English 
under  their  present  circumstances,  yet  its  capture 
was  a  great  loss  to  the  Spaniards,  for  it  was  worth 
400,000  dollars  prime  cost  at  Panama,  and  it  was 
the  most  considerable  prize  taken  in  this  part  of 
the  world.  The  ship  was  bound  to  Callao,  and  had 
stopped  at  Paita  to  get  fresh  supply  of  water  and 
provisions,  having  left  that  place  only  twenty-four 
hours  before  she  was  captured. 

The  most  important  intelligence  which  Mr.  Brett 


CAPTURE  OF  THE  TOWN  OF  PAITA.       165 

wished  the  Commodore  to  obtain  was  the  infor- 
mation given  by  one  John  Williams,  an  Irishman 
and  Roman  Catholic,  who  was  found  on  board  the 
Spanish  vessel.  He  said  he  had  worked  his  passage 
from  Cadiz,  and  had  travelled  over  all  the  kingdom 
of  Mexico  as  a  pedlar.  He  asserted  that  by  this 
business  he  had  got  4,000  to  5,000  dollars  ;  but  the 
priests,  on  discovering  that  he  possessed  this  money, 
managed  to  strip  him  of  everything  that  he  had. 
He  was,  indeed,  at  the  present  all  in  rags,  having 
just  got  out  of  gaol  in  Paita,  where  he  had  been 
imprisoned  for  some  misdemeanour  not  specified. 
He  professed  great  joy  at  seeing  his  fellow-country- 
men, as  he  called  them. 

He  told  them  that  a  few  days  previously  a  vessel 
came  into  Paita,  the  master  of  which  informed  the 
governor  that  he  had  been  chased  in  the  offing  by 
a  very  large  ship,  which  from  her  size  and  the  colour 
of  her  sails  he  was  persuaded  must  be  one  of  the 
English  squadron.  This  was  really  the  '  Gloucester,' 
as  was  afterwards  ascertained.  The  governor  ques- 
tioned the  master  of  this  vessel  minutely,  and  being 
satisfied  of  the  truth  of  the  statement  sent  an  express 
immediately  to  Lima  to  acquaint  the  Viceroy  there- 
with. The  royal  officer  in  command  at  Paita,  from 
first  hearing  this  news  of  the  vessel  being  chased,  had 
been  busily  employed  in  removing  the  king's  treasure, 
and  his  own,  to  Piura,  an  inland  town  about  fourteen 
leagues  distant. 


166  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

From  other  prisoners  it  was  ascertained  that  large 
sums  of  money  belonging  to  some  merchants  of 
Lima  were  then  lodged  in  the  custom-house  at 
Paita,  waiting  to  be  shipped  on  board  a  vessel  pre- 
paring to  sail  for  a  place  on  the  coast  of  Mexico,  in 
order  to  purchase  part  of  the  cargo  that  came 
annually  from  the  East  by  the  Manilla  ship.  As  this 
vessel  with  its  large  amount  of  silver  was  said  to  be 
a  fast  sailer,  the  Commodore  felt  sure  that  if  it  got 
out  of  port  he  could  never  hope  to  come  up  with  it  ; 
and  as  cruising  in  these  parts  would  be  of  little 
further  advantage  now  that  the  presence  of  an 
English  squadron  was  widely  known,  he  promptly 
came  to  the  resolution  to  make  a  sudden  attack  on 
Paita. 

Having  gathered  all  the  information  available  as 
to  the  strength  and  condition  of  the  place,  he  was 
satisfied  that  there  was  little  risk  of  losing  many  of 
his  men  in  the  attempt.  He  had  not  only  the  pro- 
spect of  seizing  the  treasure  and  other  valuables, 
but  would  also  have  an  opportunity  of  setting  the 
prisoners  on  shore,  who  were  now  very  numerous, 
and  caused  greater  consumption  of  food  than  could 
be  furnished  to  them  much  longer  out  of  the  stock 
that  remained.  All  these  considerations  determined 
him  to  attack  the  place  without  delay. 

The  town  of  Paita  is  situated  in  the  latitude  of 
5°  12'  south;  on  a  barren  soil,  but  with  a  conve- 
nient  harbour,  much  frequented   by  vessels  coming 


CAPTURE  OF  THE  TOWN  OF  PAITA.      167 

from  the  north,  as  being  the  only  place  where  ships 
from  Acapulco  and  Panama  can  touch,  to  get  water 
and  provisions,  in  their  passage  to  Callao.  The 
place  itself  produces  little,  and  could  not  furnish 
fresh  water,  but  the  supplies  for  vessels  in  the  port 
are  brought  from  Indian  towns  in  the  neighbourhood, 
and  cattle  are  sometimes  brought  from  the  country- 
round  Piura. 

The  port  of  Paita,  besides  supplying  the  northern 
trade  bound  to  Callao  with  water  and  necessaries,  is 
the  usual  place  where  passengers  from  Acapulco  and 
Panama,  bound  to  Lima,  the  capital  of  Peru,  dis- 
embark ;  for  as  it  is  two  hundred  leagues  from  hence 
to  Callao,  the  port  of  Lima,  and  as  the  wind  is 
generally  contrary,  the  passage  by  sea  is  very  tedious 
and  uncertain,  whereas  by  land,  from  Paita  there  is 
a  tolerably  good  road,  parallel  with  the  coast,  with 
many  villages  and  stations  for  the  accommodation  of 
travellers. 

The  Commodore  obtained  from  the  prisoners 
every  possible  information  about  the  place — its 
population,  its  strength,  and  all  that  could  be  useful 
in  carrying  out  his  design.  He  learned  that  the 
town  is  an  open  place  ;  and  its  sole  defence  a  fort, 
with  a  few  cannon  mounted,  but  without  ditch  or 
outwork,  being  surrounded  by  a  plain  brick  wall ; 
and  that  the  garrison  consisted  of  only  one  weak 
company  of  soldiers,  though  the  town  itself  might 
possibly  arm  two  or  three  hundred  men  more.     The 


168  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

inhabitants,  he  was  told,  were  chiefly  a  mixed 
breed — Indians  and  black  slaves  with  only  a  few 
whites. 

The  Commodore,  after  ascertaining  all  this,  resolved 
to  attempt  the  place  that  very  night.  They  were 
then  about  twelve  leagues  distant  from  the  shore  ; 
far  enough  to  prevent  their  being  discovered  ;  yet 
not  so  far  but  that  by  making  all  the  sail  possible 
they  might  arrive  in  the  bay  long  before  day- 
break with  the  ships.  The  approach  of  the  ships, 
even  in  the  night,  might  however  be  seen  easily,  so 
as  to  alarm  the  people  and  afford  time  to  remove 
their  valuable  effects.  He  therefore  resolved  to 
make  the  attack  with  the  boats  only,  ordering  the 
eighteen-oared  barge  and  the  pinnaces  of  the 
'  Centurion  '  and  the  '  Tryal '  for  the  service.  Fifty- 
eight  men  were  picked  for  manning  the  boats,  well 
furnished  with  arms  and  ammunition. 

The  command  of  the  expedition  was  entrusted  to 
Lieutenant  Brett,  to  whom  the  necessary  orders  were 
given.  Two  of  the  Spanish  pilots  were  commanded 
to  accompany  the  Lieutenant,  to  conduct  him  to  the 
most  convenient  landing-place,  and  afterwards  to  be 
his  guides  on  shore.  To  have  the  greater  security 
for  the  behaviour  of  the  pilots,  the  Commodore 
assured  them  and  all  the  prisoners  that  they  should 
be  released  and  put  on  shore  at  this  place  provided 
the  pilots  acted  faithfully  ;  but  in  case  of  treachery, 
or  any  misconduct,  he    threatened    that    the   pilots 


CAPTURE   OF  THE   TOWN  OF  PA  IT  A.      169 

should  be  instantly  shot,  and  the  rest  of  the 
Spaniards  be  carried  as  prisoners  to  England. 

A  singular  circumstance  was  afterwards  discovered 
regarding  one  of  these  two  pilots.  About  twenty- 
years  before  this  he  had  been  taken  by  Captain 
Clipperton,  and  had  been  compelled  to  lead  the 
captain  and  his  people  to  the  surprise  of  Truxillo, 
a  town  inland  to  the  south  of  Paita  ;  when,  however, 
he  contrived  to  give  alarm  to  his  countrymen,  and  to 
save  them,  though  their  town  was  taken  and  pillaged. 
This  was  not  known  till  afterwards,  but  it  was  a 
singular  thing  that  the  same  man,  after  so  long  an 
interval,  should  be  a  second  time  compelled  to  act 
against  his  own  people,  and  be  at  both  times  a 
prisoner. 

The  ships  stood  towards  the  port  till  within  five 
leagues  of  the  place,  when  Brett  with  the  boats 
under  his  command  put  off,  and  arrived  at  the 
mouth  of  the  bay  without  being  discovered.  But  as 
soon  as  he  entered  it  some  of  the  people  on  board 
a  vessel  at  anchor  there  perceived  them,  and  getting 
into  their  boat  rowed  toward  the  fort,  shouting  and 
crying,  '  The  English,  The  English  dogs  ! '  and  with 
loud  noise  giving  alarm.  The  whole  town  was  very 
soon  in  commotion,  and  lights  were  seen  hurried 
backwards  and  forwards  in  the  fort,  and  about  the 
town.  Lieutenant  Brett  upon  this  encouraged  his 
men  to  pull  briskly,  that  they  might  give  the  enemy 
as  little  time  as  possible  for  preparing  defence. 


170  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

However,  before  the  boats  could  reach  the  shore 
the  people  in  the  fort  got  ready  some  of  their  guns 
and  pointed  them  towards  the  landing-place  ;  the 
direction  and  range  being  probably  known  to  them, 
for  the  first  shot  passed  extremely  near  one  of  the 
boats,  whistling  just  over  the  heads  of  the  crew. 
This  made  them  re-double  their  efforts,  and  some 
were  disembarked  at  the  landing-place  before  a 
second  gun  was  fired.  As  soon  as  they  landed  they 
were  conducted  by  one  of  the  pilots  to  the  entrance 
of  a  narrow  street,  not  above  fifty  yards  from  the 
beach,  where  they,  were  covered  from  the  fire  of 
the  fort. 

Being  formed  as  well  as  the  time  and  light  would 
allow,  they  were  immediately  marched  for  the  parade 
a  large  square  at  the  end  of  the  narrow  street ;  the 
fort  forming  one  side  of  the  square  and  the  Gover- 
nor's house  another  side.  In  this  quick  march  the 
shouts  and  cheers  of  nearly  sixty  sailors,  now  for 
the  first  time  on  shore,  and  in  an  enemy's  country, 
may  well  be  imagined  to  have  been  loud  and  joyous. 
Their  hurrahs,  joined  with  the  noise  of  some  drums 
carried  by  them,  and  favoured  by  the  darkness, 
gave  the  inhabitants  an  exaggerated  idea  of  the 
numbers  attacking,  who  were  probably  reckoned  by 
as  many  hundreds  as  there  were  only  scores. 

On  first  entering  the  square  a  volley  was  fired 
from  a  gallery  in  the  Governor's  house,  by  the 
merchants  who  owned   the  treasures  at  the  custom 


CAPTURE  OF  THE  TOWN  OF  PAITA.      171 

house ;  but  they  disappeared  on  the  first  fire  made 
in  return  by  the  sailors,  who  were  left  in  quiet 
possession  of  the  parade.  The  people  of  the  town 
had  already  shown  themselves  only  solicitous  about 
saving  themselves  by  flight. 

Lieutenant  Brett  now  divided  his  men  into  two 
parties,  one  of  them  being  ordered  to  surround  the 
Governor's  house,  and  if  possible  to  secure  him  ; 
while  he  at  the  head  of  the  other  band  marched  to 
the  fort,  with  intent  to  force  it.  But  to  his  surprise, 
and  against  his  expectation,  they  entered  without 
resistance,  the  soldiers  having  taken  to  their  heels 
on  their  approach,  and  made  their  escape  over  the 
surrounding  wall. 

Thus  was  the  whole  place  mastered  in  less  than 
a  quarter  of  an  hour  from  the  first  landing ;  and 
with  no  more  loss  than  that  of  one  man  killed  by 
a  bullet  and  two  wounded,  one  of  these  being  the 
pilot  of  the  '  Teresa,'  slightly  bruised  by  a  ball  which 
grazed  his  wrist  The  Honourable  Mr.  Keppel, 
son  of  Lord  Albemarle  (then  a  very  young  officer, 
afterwards  famous  as  an  admiral),  had  a  narrow 
escape  ;  for  having  on  a  jockey  cap,  one  side  of  the 
peak  was  shaved  off  close  to  his  temples  by  a  ball, 
which  however  did  him  no  other  injury. 

Lieutenant  Brett,  when  he  had  thus  far  happily 
succeeded,  placed  a  guard  at  the  Governor's  house 
and  another  at  the  fort,  and  planted  sentinels  at  all 
the  avenues  of  the  town,  both  to  prevent  any  surprise 


FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 


from  the  enemy  and  to  secure  the  effects  in  the 
place  being  embezzled.  This  being  done,  his  next 
care  was  to  seize  on  the  custom-house,  where  the 
treasure  lay,  and  to  examine  what  inhabitants  still 
remained  in  the  town,  that  he  might  judge  what 
further  precautions  it  was  necessary  to  take.  He 
soon  found  that  the  numbers  that  had  remained  in 
the  place  were  few,  and  in  no  way  formidable ; 
for  the  greatest  part,  being  in  bed  when  the  night 
alarm  came,  ran  off  with  such  precipitation  to  save 
their  lives  that  they  hardly  gave  themselves  time  to 
put  on  their  clothes.  In  this  general  stampede  the 
Governor  was  not  the  last  to  secure  himself,  for  he 
fled  from  the  place  betimes  half-dressed,  leaving 
behind  a  young  wife  to  whom  he  had  been  only  a 
few  weeks  married,  who  also  managed  to  escape, 
with  the  help  of  two  of  the  Governor's  servants,  just 
as  the  detachment,  ordered  to  invest  the  house, 
arrived  before  it. 

This  escape  of  the  Governor  was  annoying,  for  the 
Commodore  had  particularly  recommended  to  Mr. 
Brett  to  secure  him  if  possible,  in  hopes  that  thus 
they  might  be  able  to  treat  for  the  ransom  of  the 
place  on  payment  of  a  large  sum  of  money.  His 
alertness  in  flight  rendered  the  carrying  out  of  the 
Commodore's  order  impossible,  to  the  great  vexation 
of  Lieutenant  Brett.  The  few  inhabitants  remaining 
in  the  town  were  confined  as  prisoners  under  guard 
in  one  of  the  churches,  except  some  stout  negroes, 


CAPTURE  OF  THE  TOWN  OF  PAITA.      173 

who  were  compelled  during  the  remaining  part  of 
the  night  to  carry  the  treasure  from  the  custom 
house  and  from  other  places  to  the  fort,  their  work 
being  superintended  by  men  armed  with  muskets. 
Those  of  the  sailors  who  were  not  thus  employed, 
now  posted  as  sentinels,  made  the  best  use  of  their 
time  in  pillaging  on  their  own  account.  In  entering 
private  houses  the  first  things  that  came  in  their 
way  were  the  clothes  which  the  Spaniards  in  their 
flight  had  left  behind  them,  and  which,  according 
to  the  fashion  of  the  country,  were  most  of  them 
gay  with  embroidery  or  lace.  These  splendid  cos- 
tumes the  sailors  eagerly  laid  hold  of,  and  put  them 
on  over  their  own  tarry  trousers  and  dirty  jackets, 
not  forgetting  the  bag-wigs  and  laced  hats  generally 
found  with  the  clothes.  Two  or  three  of  the 
sailors  having  begun  this  dressing  up,  the  fun  of 
the  thing  spread  to  the  whole  detachment  ;  and 
those  who  came  latest  into  the  fashion,  not  finding 
men's  clothes  sufficient  to  equip  themselves,  were 
glad  to  seize  women's  gowns  and  petticoats,  pro- 
vided there  was  colour  or  finery  enough  to  attract 
notice.  When  a  party  of  the  pillagers  thus  ludi- 
crously attired  first  appeared  before  the  commander, 
Mr.  Brett  was  so  surprised  at  the  grotesque  sight 
that  he  was  not  immediately  satisfied  they  were  his 
own  men. 


CHAPTER    XX. 

RETURN  TO   THE  SHIPS  WITH  THE  SPOIL. 

\\  ^HILE  these  things  were  going  on  at  Paita, 
™  ™  the  Commodore  was  occupied  in  the  follow- 
ing manner  on  board  the  '  Centurion.'  After  the 
boats  went  off  he  ordered  the  ships  to  lay  by  till 
an  hour  after  midnight ;  and  then,  supposing  the 
men  with  Lieutenant  Brett  to  be  near  landing, 
easy  sail  was  made  for  the  bay,  which  was  reached 
at  seven  in  the  morning,  and  soon  after  opening  the 
bay  a  full  view  of  the  town  was  obtained.  There 
was  every  reason  to  hope  that  the  enterprise  had 
been  successful,  but  with  joy  a  certain  proof  was 
now  discovered,  on  seeing  through  their  perspective 
glasses,  or  telescopes  as  we  now  call  them,  an 
English  flag  flying  on  the  lofty  flag-staff  of  the 
fort.  They  plied  into  the  bay  with  as  much 
expedition  as  the  wind,  which  then  blew  off  shore, 
would  permit.  About  eleven  o'clock  the  '  Tryal's  ' 
pinnace  came  on  board,  laden  with  dollars  and 
church-plate,  and  the  officer  in  command  informed 
the    Commodore   of    the    preceding    night's    trans- 


RETURN  TO  THE  SHIPS  WITH  THE  SPOIL.    175 

actions  ;  the  good  news  soon  being  spread  through 
all  the  ships. 

About  2  P.M.  the  ships  anchored  at  about  a  mile 
and  half  distance  from  the  town,  and  were  con- 
sequently near  enough  to  have  more  ready  inter- 
course with  those  on  shore.  It  was  then  ascertained 
that  Mr.  Brett  had  gone  on  collecting  and  removing 
the  treasure,  and  valuable  effects  of  all  kinds, 
without  interruption  as  yet ;  but  that  the  Spaniards 
were  collecting  forces  from  all  the  neighbouring 
country,  and  the  large  body  of  men,  posted  on 
a  hill  at  the  back  of  the  town,  presented  rather 
a  formidable  appearance.  Amongst  the  force  there 
were  two  hundred  horse,  seemingly  very  well  armed 
and  mounted,  and  also  properly  trained  and  disci- 
plined, having  trumpets,  drums,  and  standards. 

These  troops  paraded  about  the  hill  with  much 
ostentation,  sounding  their  military  music,  and 
practising  every  art  to  show  their  strength,  in  hopes 
that  this  demonstration  of  force  and  numbers  might 
induce  the  small  body  of  English  (for  by  this  time 
they  knew  how  small  the  number  was)  to  abandon 
the  place  and  return  to  the  ships  before  the  pillage 
was  completed  and  further  damage'  done.  Mr. 
Brett,  however,  was  quite  sure  that  this  body  of 
horse,  which  looked  formidable  in  the  distance,  and 
seemed  to  be  what  the  enemy  principally  depended 
on,  would  not  dare  to  venture  an  attack  among 
houses  and  in  streets,  even  if  they  had  been  three 


176  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

times  as  numerous.  Therefore  he  disregarded  their 
menacing  appearance,  and  coolly  continued,  as  long 
as  daylight  lasted,  to  send  off  the  treasure,  and  also 
employing  the  boats  to  convey  on  board  ample 
supply  of  fresh  provisions,  including  fowls,  hogs, 
and  other  things  found  in  great  abundance  in  the 
deserted  town.  As  night  drew  on,  the  Commodore, 
to  prevent  any  surprise,  sent  on  shore  a  reinforce- 
ment, so  as  to  allow  of  fresh  and  additional 
sentinels  in  all  streets  and  passages  leading  to  the 
square  ;  and  gave  orders,  for  further  security,  that 
high  barricades  should  be  formed  in  the  streets. 
The  Spaniards,  however,  continued  quiet  throughout 
the  night,  and  next  day  the  work  was  renewed  of 
loading  the  boats  and  sending  them  off  to  the 
ships. 

By  this  time  it  was  apparent  how  prudent  and 
sensible  had  been  the  views  of  the  Commodore  as 
to  securing  the  person  of  the  Governor.  There 
were  many  storehouses  full  of  valuable  goods,  too 
bulky  to  be  carried  on  board  the  ships,  and  useless 
to  the  captors  under  present  circumstances.  Had 
the  Governor  been  in  the  power  of  the  English,  he 
would  in  all  probability  have  been  induced  to  treat 
for  the  ransom  of  this  merchandise  on  terms 
advantageous  to  both  sides.  Whereas  now,  having 
escaped,  and  being  at  the  head  of  a  large  force 
collecting  from  the  surrounding  districts,  and  having 
even    got  a  body   of  militia    from    Piura,  fourteen 


RETURN  TO  THE  SHIPS  WITH  THE  SPOIL.     177 

leagues  distant,  he  was  so  elated  with  his  new 
military  command  that  he  seemed  not  to  trouble 
himself  about  the  fate  of  his  government  at  Paita. 
He  took  not  the  slightest  notice  of  repeated  mess- 
ages sent  by  the  Commodore,  through  merchants 
and  inhabitants  taken  prisoners,  nor  did  he  notice 
threats  that  if  he  refused  to  treat  for  ransom  the 
town  and  all  the  warehouses  would  be  burnt  to 
ashes. 

Two  days  later  some  negro  slaves  who  deserted 
from  the  Spaniards  brought  information  that  the 
forces  on  the  hill  had  so  increased  that  they  had 
resolved  to  storm  the  town  and  the  fort  on  the 
following  night ;  and  that  a  Scotch  Papist,  one 
Gordon,  captain  of  a  ship  in  these  seas,  was  to 
have  command  of  this  enterprise.  This  report  being 
conveyed  to  the  Commodore  he  sent  further  rein- 
forcements on  shore,  and  Lieutenant  Brett  doubled 
the  guards  at  each  of  the  stations  and  barricades. 
The  posts  were  connected  by  means  of  sentinels, 
placed  within  call  of  each  other,  and  patrols,  with 
a  drum,  visited  the  posts  by  frequent  rounds  ;  which 
marks  of  vigilance  the  enemy  could  not  but  be 
aware  of,  as  they  could  hear  the  drum  if  not  the 
call  of  the  sentinels.  The  second  night  accordingly 
passed  without  molestation,  or  the  threatened  attack 
being  made.  On  the  third  morning,  the  15th  of 
November,  the  boats  had  finished  the  work  of 
carrying  off  the  most  valuable  parts  of  the  effects 

12 


178  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

in  the  town  that  were  portable.  The  Commodore, 
intending  to  sail  in  the  afternoon,  sent  all  the 
prisoners,  eighty-eight  in  number,  on  shore,  giving 
orders  that  they  should  be  secured  in  one  of  the 
churches,  under  strict  guard,  till  the  men  were 
ready  to  be  embarked.  Mr.  Brett  was  at  the  same 
time  ordered  to  burn  the  whole  town,  except  the 
two  churches,  which  fortunately  were  isolated,  and 
at  a  distance  from  the  houses ;  and  then  he  was 
to  abandon  the  place  and  return  on  board  with 
his  men. 

These  orders  were  well  carried  out, — pitch,  tar, 
and  other  combustibles,  of  which  great  quantities 
were  found,  being  placed  in  houses  in  different  parts 
of  the  town,  so  that,  fire  being  set  to  the  houses 
in  many  quarters  at  the  same  time,  the  destruction 
might  be  more  violent  and  sudden,  and  the  difficulty 
increased  of  the  Spaniards  extinguishing  the  fires 
after  the  departure  of  the  captors.  The  cannon  in 
the  fort  were  dismounted  and  spiked  ;  and  the 
houses  most  to  windward  being  fired,  Mr.  Brett 
mustered  his  men  and  marched  towards  the  beach, 
where  the  boats  waited  to  carry  them  off. 

The  Governor,  seeing  from  the  hill  what  was 
going  on,  sent  a  squadron  of  horse,  about  sixty 
picked  men,  to  hasten  the  retreat  of  the  English, 
and  thereby  probably  to  lay  some  foundation  for 
future  boasting  to  the  Viceroy,  of  having  driven  off 
the  invaders.     They  came  down  with  much  pomp 


RETURN  TO  THE  SHIPS  WITH  THE  SPOIL.     179 

and  ostentation,  but  on  Mr.  Brett  ordering  his  men 
to  halt  and  face  about,  the  Spaniards  at  once 
stopped  their  career,  and  did  not  dare  to  advance 
a  step  farther. 

When  the  men  reached  the  boats,  and  were 
ready  to  go  on  board,  one  of  the  sailors  was  found 
by  his  comrades  to  be  missing,  besides  the  one 
who  had  been  shot  dead.  Not  knowing  by  what 
accident  this  other  man  was  missing,  there  was  some 
delay,  from  unwillingness  to  abandon  him,  but  it 
was  impossible  to  return  to  make  search,  and  all 
had  to  get  into  the  boats  for  departure.  When  the 
last  man  was  actually  embarked,  and  the  boats  just 
putting  off,  the  voice  of  the  missing  man  was  heard 
loudly  calling  to  be  taken  in.  The  smoke  was  so 
dense  on  the  beach  that  they  could  not  see,  though 
his  voice  was  plainly  heard.  The  lieutenant  ordered 
one  of  the  boats  to  go  towards  the  place  where  the 
cries  were  heard,  and  there  the  man  was  found,  up 
to  the  chin  in  water,  having  waded  as  far  as  he 
durst,  in  mortal  fright  of  falling  into  the  hands  of 
his  enraged  enemies.  He  was  rescued,  and  on 
inquiry  it  appeared  that  he  had  taken  too  much 
brandy  that  morning,  and  fell  into  so  sound  a  sleep 
that  he  was  only  roused  by  the  heat  and  the  roaring 
of  the  flames  around  him.  The  fright  sobered  him, 
and  he  had  enough  presence  of  mind  to  push 
through  the  thick  smoke  and  make  the  best  of  his 
way  to  the  beach,  and  run  into  the   water   as   far 


180  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

as  he  could  wade,  for  he  could  not  swim.  This 
incident  is  worthy  of  being  recorded  as  testimony 
to  the  general  conduct  and  discipline  of  the  men  ; 
since  of  the  whole  number,  and  with  abundant 
opportunity  of  excess,  this  was  the  only  instance  of 
over-indulgence  in  liquor  during  the  time  of  the 
operations  on  shore. 

Having  mentioned  this  single  instance  of  drunk- 
enness, there  is  one  other  incident  worth  recording, 
from  its  peculiar  circumstances.  There  was  an 
Englishman  who  had  formerly  worked  as  a  ship- 
carpenter  in  the  yard  at  Portsmouth.  Leaving  his 
country,  he  had  entered  into  the  Spanish  service, 
and  was  employed  by  them  at  the  port  of  Guiaquil. 
His  friends  in  England,  knowing  he  was  in  that  part 
of  the  world,  put  letters  on  board  the  '  Centurion  '  to 
be  delivered  to  him  in  case  he  should  be  met  with. 
It  so  happened  that  this  man  was  at  Paita  at  the 
time  of  the  attack,  and  he  retired  to  the  hill  with 
the  Spaniards  when  they  retreated  thither.  Being 
ambitious,  as  it  seemed,  to  acquire  a  reputation  for 
zeal  among  his  new  masters,  he  came  down  from 
the  hill  unarmed,  and  told  one  of  the  sentinels  that 
he  was  desirous  of  surrendering  himself,  and  of  re- 
turning to  the  British  service.  The  sentinel  had  a 
cocked  pistol  in  his  hand,  but  being  startled  by 
being  addressed  in  English,  and  deceived  by  the 
man's  fair  speeches,  he  was  so  imprudent  as  to 
allow  him   to  come  nearer  than  he    ought  ;    upon 


RETURN  TO  THE  SHIPS  WITH  THE  SPOIL.    181 


which  the  shipwright,  watching  his  opportunity, 
rushed  on  the  sentinel,  seized  his  pistol,  and  having 
wrenched  it  out  of  his  hand  ran  off  with  it  up  the 
hill.  Two  other  sailors,  who  had  seen  the  fellow 
approaching,  and  having  their  suspicions  aroused, 
now  pursued  him,  but  he  got  far  up  the  hill  before 
they  could  overtake  him.  The  fellow  then  turned 
round  and  fired  the  pistol,  which  fortunately  missed 
them  ;  upon  which  they  returned  the  fire  and  shot 
the  traitor  dead.  The  sentinel  who  had  been  thus 
imposed  upon  did  not  escape  punishment,  but  for 
the  sake  of  example,  and  of  maintaining  discipline, 
necessary  for  the  common  safety,  he  got  a  sharp 
flogging  by  the  commander's  orders. 

As  the  boats  were  returning  to  the  ship,  the 
sight  of  the  burning  town  was  a  very  imposing 
spectacle.  Mr.  Brett  made  a  sketch  of  the  scene, 
which  was  afterwards  given  as  an  engraving  in  the 
large  edition  of  the  Narrative  of  Anson's  Voyage. 
As  soon  as  he  got  back  to  the  '  Centurion,'  the 
Commodore  prepared  to  sail  from  the  place  that 
evening.  On  first  coming  into  the  bay  he  found 
six  Spanish  vessels  at  anchor  there,  one  of  them 
being  the  ship  which  was  to  have  carried  the 
treasure  at  Paita  to  the  coast  of  Mexico  for  trading. 
Persuaded  that  she  must  be  a  good  sailer,  the 
Commodore  resolved  to  take  it  with  him  on  his 
further  cruise.  The  other  five  vessels,  two  snows, 
a  barque,   and   two  row-galleys,   would   not    be    of 


1 82  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

service,  and  orders  had  been  given  that  the  masts  of 
all  of  them  should  be  cut  away  at  his  first  arrival, 
and  now  they  were  towed  out  of  the  harbour, 
scuttled,  and  sunk.  The  command  of  the  new 
vessel  was  given  to  Mr.  Hughes,  the  lieutenant  of 
the  '  Tryal,'  who  had  with  him  a  crew  of  ten  men 
to  navigate  her.  Towards  midnight  the  squadron 
weighed  anchor  and  sailed  out  of  the  bay,  being 
now  augmented  to  the  number  of  six  sail — viz.,  the 
'  Centurion  '  and  the  '  Tryal,'  with  the  prizes,  the 
'  Carmelo,'  the  f  Teresa,'  the  '  Carmin,'  and  the  last- 
acquired  vessel,  called  the  '  Solidad.' 

With  regard  to  the  losses  sustained  by  the 
Spaniards,  and  the  booty  acquired  by  the  English 
at  Paita,  a  few  facts  may  be  mentioned.  The 
Spaniards,  in  the  statements  sent  to  the  government 
at  Madrid,  estimated  their  whole  loss  at  a  million 
and  a  half  of  dollars,  a  sufficiently  moderate  valua- 
tion considering  the  great  quantity  of  valuable  goods, 
silks,  velvets,  broadcloths,  and  other  stuffs  destroyed 
by  fire.  As  to  the  value  of  the  booty  carried  off, 
though  inconsiderable  compared  with  what  was 
destroyed,  the  amount  was  not  to  be  despised,  for 
the  plate,  dollars,  and  other  coin  amounted  to  above 
^30,000  sterling,  besides  jewels,  rings,  bracelets,  and 
other  articles,  the  worth  of  which  could  not  then  be 
determined.  Besides  all  which,  there  was  consider- 
able plunder  appropriated  by  the  immediate  captors, 
not  thrown    into  the    common  lot,  as   it  ought    in 


RETURN  TO  THE  SHIPS  WITH  THE  SPOIL.     183 

strictness  to  have  been.  On  the  whole,  this  proved 
the  most  important  booty  obtained  upon  that  coast. 
There  is  one  other  matter  of  importance  to  speak 
of,  not  merely  in  connection  with  Paita,  but  with  all 
the  operations  on  these  coasts :  the  Commodore's 
conduct  to  prisoners  and  to  all  with  whom  he  came 
in  contact.  At  Paita  the  whole  of  the  prisoners 
taken  in  the  previous  prizes  were  sent  on  shore  and 
set  at  liberty.  While  they  continued  on  board  the 
English  ships  they  were  treated  always  with  the 
utmost  kindness  and  consideration  consistent  with 
security.  Among  them  were  several  people  of  dis- 
tinction, such  as  a  youth  of  seventeen,  son  of  the 
Vice  President  of  the  Council  of  Chili.  This  youth, 
never  having  been  from  home  before,  lamented  his 
captivity  in  most  moving  manner,  and  spoke  in  plain- 
tive strain  of  his  parents  and  brothers  and  sisters, 
whom  he  thought  he  should  never  see  again,  for  he 
believed,  if  his  life  was  spared,  his  doom  would  be 
perpetual  slavery.  The  barbarity  of  the  buccaneers, 
turned  to  artful  use  by  the  priests,  had  filled  all  the 
people  of  South  America  with  most  terrible  ideas  of 
English  cruelty,  so  that  all  the  prisoners  on  first 
coming  on  board  showed  signs  of  fear  and  of 
wretched  dejection.  The  Commodore,  from  his 
innate  humanity  and  kindness,  felt  true  pity  for 
those  who  had  these  painful  impressions,  and  took 
great  trouble  to  disabuse  the  minds  of  his  captives 
of  their   false  ideas   of  Englishmen.      He   used   to 


FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 


invite  to  his  own  table  in  turns  as  many  of  the 
principal  people  among  the  prisoners  as  there  was 
room  for,  and  gave  orders  to  his  officers  to  see  to 
the  comfort  and  happiness  of  all  under  their  charge. 
This  Chilian  youth  became  after  a  time  so  attached 
to  the  Commodore  that  it  seemed  as  if  he  wouid 
gladly  have  preferred  a  voyage  in  the  '  Centurion  '  to 
England,  instead  of  being  at  once  set  on  shore  at 
Paita,  with  liberty  to  return  to  his  country  and  his 
friends. 

The  conduct  of  the  Commodore  to  his  female 
captives,  and  especially  to  the  high-bred  ladies  taken 
in  the  '  Teresa,'  made  so  strong  an  impression  on  a 
Jesuit,  an  ecclesiastic  of  distinction,  who  was  witness 
of  it,  that  he  said  he  doubted  if  his  personal  and 
ecclesiastical  character  would  be  sufficient  to  make 
his  countrymen  believe  what  he  would  tell  them  on 
this  point.  To  allow  these  ladies  to  remain  in  their 
own  cabins,  in  their  own  ship,  with  injunctions  as  to 
their  privacy  and  their  comfort  being  attended  to, 
and  permitting  the  pilot  of  the  •  Teresa '  to  stay  with 
them  as  their  guardian,  greatly  surprised  this  priest, 
who  possibly  himself  believed  the  tales  about 
English  inhumanity  to  those  of  other  nations  or 
different  faith.  The  ladies  themselves  refused  to  go 
on  shore  at  Paita  till  they  had  permission  to  wait 
on  the  Commodore  on  board  the  '  Centurion,'  in 
order  to  return  their  warmest  thanks  in  person. 
The  Commodore  had  not  even  seen  them  till  that 


RETURN  10  THE  SHIPS  WITH  THE  SPOIL.     185 

occasion,  although  he  had  heard  much  of  their  beauty 
and  of  their  accomplishments.  As  to  the  Jesuit,  he 
passed  the  highest  encomiums  on  the  Commodore, 
both  at  Lima  and  other  places,  and  he  is  reported  to 
have  said  that  he  must  thenceforth  interpret  with 
reservation,  and  in  lax  hypothetical  sense,  the  dogma 
of  his  Church  as  to  the  impossibility  of  heretics 
being  saved  ! 

The  impressions  spread  abroad  by  this  conduct 
reached  far  beyond  the  circles  of  the  relatives  and 
neighbours  of  the  prisoners.  Often  in  after  times 
there  were  proofs  of  the  good  feeling  produced  by 
these  acts  of  humanity  and  courtesy.  What  was 
done  was  not  out  of  policy,  but  out  of  generosity 
and  goodness  ;  and  the  reputation  of  Anson  for  these 
qualities  was  long  honoured  not  only  on  the  coasts 
of  the  South  Seas  but  throughout  all  the  Spanish 
settlements  in  America. 


CHAPTER    XXI.       - 

HOW  ANSON  SETTLED  DISPUTES  ABOUT  THE 
TREASURE  TAKEN  AT  PAITA  —  FURTHER 
CRUISING  IN  THE  SOUTH  SEAS. 

A  FTER  leaving  the  Paita  coast,  the  Commodore 
-*■  ^-  gave  orders  that  the  ships  should  spread  them- 
selves, to  have  a  better  look-out  for  the  '  Gloucester,' 
as  they  were  drawing  near  the  station  where  Captain 
Mitchell  had  been  directed  to  cruise.  That  whole 
day  and  the  next  day  passed  without  seeing  him, 
though  there  was  hourly  expectation  of  meeting. 
But  meanwhile  a  new  trouble  had  arisen  in  the 
squadron,  about  the  plunder  gotten  at  Paita. 

Those  who  went  ashore  in  the  boats,  and  had 
secured  for  themselves  part  of  the  booty,  said  that 
this  was  the  just  reward  for  the  risks  they  ran, 
and  the  exertions  in  that  service.  Those  who  had 
remained  on  board  maintained  that  they  were  all 
equally  ready  to  go  on  shore ;  and  in  the  ships  they 
had  not  only  the  usual  labour  of  the  day,  but  at 
night  had  to  be  constantly  on  duty,  under  arms,  to 
secure  the  prisoners,  whose  number  exceeded  their 


HO  W  ANSON  SETTLED  DISPUTES.         187 

own.  Their  service  on  board  was  as  necessary  to 
the  success  of  the  enterprise  as  that  of  the  others 
on  shore,  therefore  they  could  not  be  deprived  of 
their  share  of  the  plunder  without  injustice.  The 
contest  was  carried  on  with  great  heat  on  both  sides. 
After  all,  the  plunder  in  question  was  of  very  trifling 
amount  compared  with  the  treasure  openly  taken  in 
the  town,  to  their  share  of  which  the  men  on  board 
had  undoubtedly  an  equal  right. 

An  appeal  being  made,  through  the  officers,  to 
the  Commodore,  he  thought  it  prudent  to  stop  the 
altercation   and    discontent  by  prompt  action. 

Accordingly,  he  ordered  all  hands  upon  the 
quarter-deck,  and  there  addressed  them.  He  first 
commended  warmly  the  behaviour  of  the  men  who 
had  been  on  shore,  and  thanked  them,  in  his  own 
name  and  the  name  of  their  country,  for  their 
services  on  that  occasion.  Then  he  referred  to  the 
statements  made,  and  the  reasons  urged,  by  those 
who  had  remained  on  board  for  an  equal  distribu- 
tion of  all  the  plunder.  He  told  them  that  to  his 
sense  of  justice  these  reasons  were  conclusive,  and 
therefore,  as  the  matter  had  been  submitted  to  him, 
he  insisted  that  not  the  men  only,  but  the  officers 
also,  who  had  been  employed  in  taking  the  place 
should  produce  the  whole  of  their  plunder,  and 
deposit  it  upon  the  quarter-deck  ;  and  then  it  would 
be  impartially  divided  amongst  the  whole  crew,  in 
proportion    to    each    man's    rank    and    commission 


FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 


according  to  the  rules  and  usages  of  the  service. 
And  in  order  to  prevent  those  who  had  got  posses- 
sion of  special  plunder  from  murmuring  at  this 
diminution  of  their  booty,  he  said  he  would  give  up 
his  own  entire  share,  to  be  distributed  amongst  those 
who  had  been  detached  for  the  attack  on  the  place. 

What  could  the  men  say  to  such  a  speech  ?  The 
justice  and  generosity  of  their  chief  touched  the 
hearts  of  almost  every  one  who  heard  him,  and  a 
sympathetic  and  assenting  cheer  showed  how  the 
Commodore's  proposal  was  received.  If  there  were 
some  few  whose  selfish  dispositions  were  impervious 
to  this  appeal  to  their  sense  of  equity  and  honour, 
they  were  ashamed  to  express  dissent  from  the 
general  submission  to  the  Commodore's  decision. 
Thus  this  troublesome  affair,  which  if  permitted  to 
go  on  might  have  led  to  much  dissension  and  bad 
feeling,  was  settled  by  the  Commodore's  prudence 
and  wisdom,  to  the  general  satisfaction  of  the  ship's 
company. 

On  the  following  day  a  sail  was  descried  and 
chase  given,  and  when  near  enough  she  was  dis- 
covered to  be  the  '  Gloucester,'  with  a  small  vessel 
in  tow.  In  about  an  hour  they  joined  the  '  Cen- 
turion,' when  Captain  Mitchell  reported  that  in  the 
whole  of  his  cruise  he  had  taken  only  two  prizes  ; 
one  of  them  a  small  snow,  with  cargo  of  wine, 
brandy,  and  olives,  and  about  £7,000  in  specie ; 
the  other  prize  being  a  large  boat  or  launch,  which 


HO  TV  ANSON  SETTLED  DISPUTES.         189 

the  '  Gloucester's '  barge  came  up  with  near  the 
shore.  The  prisoners  on  board  this  last  vessel 
alleged  that  they  were  very  poor,  and  that  they  had 
nothing  but  cotton  for  their  loading.  It  was  soon 
found  that  they  were  far  better  off  than  they  pre- 
tended, for  the  '  Gloucester '  people  found  them  at 
dinner  served  up  in  silver  dishes.  At  first  there 
seemed  nothing  but  cotton  as  cargo,  but  when  some 
of  the  jars  containing  it  were  examined  more  strictly 
on  board  the  '  Gloucester,'  there  was  found  in  every 
jar  a  large  quantity  of  dollars  and  double  doubloons, 
to  the  amount  on  the  whole  of  nearly  ;£  12,000. 
This  money  was  going  to  Paita,  and  belonged  to 
the  same  merchants  who  were  proprietors  of  the 
greatest  part  of  the  treasure  taken  there,  so  that  if 
this  boat  had  escaped  the  '  Gloucester '  the  cargo 
would  probably  have  been  captured  all  the  same. 
Other  ships  had  been  sighted,  but  they  had  escaped. 
Being  now  joined  by  the  '  Gloucester  '  and  her 
prize,  the  Commodore  resolved  to  stand  to  the 
northward,  and  to  make  the  best  of  his  way  either 
to  Cape  St.  Lucas  on  California,  or  to  Cape  Corrientes 
on  the  coast  of  Mexico.  Indeed,  the  Commodore, 
when  at  Juan  Fernandez,  had  determined  with 
himself  to  touch  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Panama, 
and  to  open  some  correspondence  overland  with 
the  fleet  on  the  other  side  of  the  Isthmus  under 
the  command  of  Admiral  Vernon.  For,  at  the  time 
of  leaving  England,  a  large  force  was  at  Portsmouth 


1 9o  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 


intended  to  be  sent  to  the  West  Indies,  on  an 
expedition  against  some  of  the  Spanish  settlements. 
And  Anson,  taking  for  granted  that  this  enterprise 
had  been  successfully  carried  out,  and  that  Porto 
Bello  might  perhaps  be  now  garrisoned  by  English 
troops,  hoped  that  on  arriving  at  the  Isthmus  he 
could  easily  open  communication  with  his  country- 
men on  the  opposite  coast,  either  by  the  Indians, 
who  were  greatly  disposed  in  favour  of  the  English, 
or  by  Spanish  messengers  through  giving  suitable 
pay  and  rewards.  He  flattered  himself,  in  these 
meditations,  that  he  might  perhaps  get  reinforce- 
ments from  the  other  side,  and  by  combined  opera- 
tions with  the  commanders  in  the  West  Indies  he 
might  take  Panama  itself,  which  would  give  to 
England  the  possession  of  the  Isthmus,  and  indi- 
rectly make  our  nation  masters  of  all  the  treasures 
of  Peru. 

Such  were  among  the  dreams  cherished  by 
Commodore  Anson  on  the  island  of  Juan  Fernandez, 
notwithstanding  the  feeble  condition  to  which  his 
squadron  had  been  then  reduced.  If  the  success  of 
the  force  in  the  West  Indies  had  been  equal  to  the 
general  expectation,  these  ideas  might  have  been  well 
founded.  But  when  he  examined  the  papers  found 
on  board  the  '  Carmelo,'  the  first  prize  taken  in  the 
South  Seas,  he  had  learned  that  the  attempt  against 
Carthagena  had  failed,  and  that  there  was  little 
probability    of   the    fleet    succeeding    in    any  other 


HOW  ANSON  SETTLED  DISPUTES.         191 

enterprise  such  as  would  justify  his  touching  at  the 
Isthmus,  seeing  he  was  incapable  of  attacking  so 
strong  a  place  as  Panama  ;  and  he  had  also  reason 
to  believe  that  there  was  a  general  embargo  on  all 
the  coast,  and  little  chance  of  picking  up  prizes. 

Then  it  was  that  there  gradually  was  formed  in 
Anson's  mind  the  resolution  to  steer  as  soon  as 
possible  to  the  southern  coasts  of  California,  or 
adjacent  shores  of  Mexico,  and  there  wait  for  the 
celebrated  Manilla  galleon,  which  he  knew  ought  to 
be  at  sea  bound  to  the  port  of  Acapulco. 

It  was  now  the  middle  of  November,  and  the 
Manilla  ship  arrived  at  Acapulco  usually  about  the 
middle  of  January.  The  passage  thither  should  not 
occupy  above  a  month  or  five  weeks  from  where 
they  then  were,  so  that  they  had  nearly  twice  as 
much  time  as  was  necessary  to  reach  the  station 
where  they  might  hope  to  intercept  her.  Otfily  one 
piece  of  business  had  to  be  first  attended  to,  the 
recruiting  the  stock  of  water.  The  number  of 
prisoners  on  board  since  leaving  Juan  Fernandez 
had  hastened  the  consumption,  and  at  Paita,  where 
they  hoped  to  get  a  supply,  they  could  not  obtain 
more  than  for  use  during  the  stay  there.  On 
examining  the  accounts  of  former  navigators,  and 
examining  the  Spanish  prisoners,  it  was  found  that 
Quibo,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Gulf  of  Panama,  would 
be  the  most  suitable  place  for  watering  the  squadron. 
There  was  also  the  chance  of  meeting  with  some 


i92  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

Spanish  vessels  bound  to  or  from  Panama,  especially 
such  as  might  have  put  to  sea  before  they  had  any 
intelligence  of  an  English  squadron  being  in  these 
parts. 

Determined  by  these  reasons,  the  course  was 
taken  northwards,  eight  ships  now  in  company,  and 
consequently  having  the  appearance  of  a  very 
formidable  fleet.  On  the  19th  Cape  Blanco  was 
sighted,  bearing  S.S.E.,  about  seven  miles  distant. 
This  cape,  in  latitude  40  15'  South,  is  always  made 
by  ships  bound  either  to  windward  or  to  leeward, 
so  that  it  is  an  excellent  station  to  cruise  upon  the 
enemy.  The  Commodore,  therefore,  ordered  a  good 
look-out  to  be  kept,  and  made  some  suitable  pre- 
parations. It  was  found  by  this  time  that  the  last 
prize,  the  '  Solidad,'  was  far  from  answering  the 
character  given  her  of  a  good  sailer ;  and  she  and 
the  '  Santa  Teresa '  delaying  the  squadron  consider- 
ably, the  Commodore  ordered  that  both  of  these 
should  be  cleared  of  everything  that  might  prove 
useful  to  the  rest  of  the  ships,  and  then  be 
burned.  This  being  done,  and  a  rendezvous  having 
been  given  to  the  '  Gloucester '  and  to  the  other 
ships,  they  proceeded  on  their  course  for  Quibo. 
On  the  22nd  the  island  of  Plata  was  sighted,  and 
one  of  the  prizes  was  ordered  to  stand  close  in  with 
it,  both  to  discover  if  there  were  any  ships  between 
the  island  and  the  mainland,  and  to  look  out  for 
a    stream    of   fresh    water,  the    supply   from    which 


HOW  ANSON  SETTLED  DISPUTES.         193 

might  save  the  trouble  of  going  to  Quibo  ;  but  the 
ship  returned  without  any  satisfactory  report. 

The  next  point  sighted  was  Manta,  S.E.  by  E, 
seven  miles  distant.  There  being  a  town  of  the 
same  name  in  the  neighbourhood,  Captain  Mitchell 
took  this  opportunity  of  sending  away  several 
prisoners  from  the  '  Gloucester '  in  the  Spanish 
launch.  The  boats  of  all  the  ships  were  now  daily 
employed  in  distributing  provisions  on  board  the 
prizes,  to  complete  their  stock  for  six  months. 
That  the  '  Centurion '  might  be  better  prepared  to 
give  the  Manilla  ship  a  warm  reception  when  they 
met,  the  carpenters  were  ordered  to  fix  eight  stocks 
in  the  main  and  fore  tops,  which  were  properly 
fitted  for  the  mounting  of  swivel  guns. 

It  was  evident  that  the  capture  of  the  famous 
Manilla  ship  was  from  this  time  the  absorbing  sub- 
ject in  the  Commodore's  mind.  Every  information 
that  could  be  possibly  extracted  from  the  prisoners 
in  the  several  prizes  had  been  carefully  noted  and 
considered.  Much  had  been  recorded  in  various 
narratives  of  former  navigators,  and  were  now  called 
to  remembrance.  The  old  book  of  Captain  Woods 
Rogers  was  brought  out  again,  and  with  eager 
interest  his  account  was  read  of  an  actual  engage- 
ment with  two  Manilla  ships,  one  of  which  was 
taken  by  the  daring  Bristol  privateer,  in  his  vessel 
the  'Duke/  on  the  21st  of  December,  1709.  The 
other,  a  much  larger  shipr  proved  too  strong  to  be 

13 


194  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

captured,  and  Rogers  had  to  retire,  baffled  and 
severely  wounded,  though  he  kept  up  a  sturdy  fight, 
till  night  enabled  him  to  withdraw,  in  sorely 
shattered  condition,  from  the  unequal  encounter. 
His  account  confirmed  what  was  rumoured  about 
the  strength  of  the  Manilla  ships,  the  number  of 
their  crews,  and  the  elaborate  defences  provided 
against  their  being  boarded. 


.       CHAPTER  XXII. 

TO  QUIBO,  AND  THENCE  TO  THE  COASTS  OF 
MEXICO. 

(~\N  the  27th  of  November,  Captain  Mitchell 
^-^  having  finished  the  clearing  of  his  largest 
prize,  she  was  scuttled  and  set  on  fire.  There  were 
still  five  ships  left,  all  good  sailers,  so  that  they  now 
would  never  occasion  delay  to  each  other. 

On  the  3rd  of  December  the  island  of  Quibo  was 
sighted,  and  in  the  forenoon  of  the  next  day  they 
anchored  in  a  convenient  situation.  This  island  is 
as  convenient  for  wooding  as  for  watering,  the  trees 
growing  close  to  the  high-water  mark,  while  fresh 
water  runs  over  the  sandy  beach  into  the  sea.  In 
two  days  all  the  wood  and  water  wanted  had  been 
laid  in.  The  island  is  almost  entirely  covered  with 
trees,  spread  over  the  country,  which  is  not  rugged, 
nor  of  great  elevation  save  at  one  part.  The  thick- 
ness of  the  forest  hindered  access  to  places  where 
many  herds  of  deer  were  to  be  found,  and  although 
often  seen  only  two  were  killed  during  the  stay 
on    the   island.     There    were    many    monkeys    and 


196  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

guanos,  the  latter  affording  plenty  of  food.  Pro- 
digious flights  of  macaws  were  seen,  and  some 
parrots  and  paroquets,  but  not  many  other  birds. 

The  Spaniards  said  that  serpents  abounded  in 
the  woods — some  of  them  very  dangerous,  from  their 
darting  from  the  boughs  on  whatever  comes  within 
reach,  and  having  venomous  fangs.  The  sea  is 
infested  by  large  and  numerous  alligators.  Ani- 
mated life  was  on  the  whole  not  attractive  on  the 
island,  the  advantages  of  which  consisted  in  its 
abundant  wood  and  good  accessible  fresh  water. 
Pearl-fishers  from  Panama  come  in  large  numbers 
in  the  summer  season,  the  pearl  fisheries  being  very 
productive.  The  oysters  themselves  are  large, 
tough,  and  unpalatable  ;  but  the  pearls,  everywhere 
found  in  the  bay  or  gulf  of  Panama,  are  at  Quibo 
of  superior  quality.  Negro  slaves  are  trained  and 
employed  as  divers. 

In  speaking  of  the  scant  food  to  be  obtained,  an 
exception  must  be  made  so  far  as  the  supply  of  turtle 
from  the  sea  is  concerned.  This  is  in  great  abun- 
dance and  perfection.  There  are  several  species, 
some  of  them  indifferent  for  eating,  but  valuable 
as  affording  tortoise-shell  for  trade  ;  whereas  the 
'  green  turtle '  is  by  many  regarded  as  the  most 
delicions  of  all  eatables.  Even  those  sailors  who 
thought  it  too  rich  at  first  trial  came  to  be  so 
pleased  with  the  diet  that  they  never  tired  of  it 
There  was  not  only  a  plentiful  consumption  while 


TO  QUIBO  AND  THE  COASTS  OF  MEXICO.     197 

on  the  island,  but  a  number  of  them  were  carried 
off  to  sea,  and  served  to  lengthen  the  store  of  provi- 
sions, and  afforded  the  whole  crew  a  good  supply  of 
fresh  and  palatable  food.  Large  turtles,  weighing 
about  two  hundred  pounds  each — those  taken  from 
Quibo — lasted  nearly  a  month  ;  in  fact,  before  the 
store  was  spent  a  fresh  supply  was  obtained  on  the 
Mexican  coast. 

There,  during  the  heat  of  the  day,  great  numbers 
were  often  seen,  fast  asleep,  floating  on  the  surface 
of  the  water.     On  discovering  them,  a  boat  was  sent 
out,   with  a  man  in  the  bow,  who  was  an    expert 
diver.     As  the  boat  came  within  a  few  yards  of  the 
turtle   the  diver  plunged   into  the    water,  rising  as 
near  as  he  could  guess  to  the  turtle,  when,  seizing 
the  shell  near  the  tail,  and  pressing  down  the  hinder 
parts,   the   turtle  was    roused   up    from    sleep,   and 
began   to   strike   out  with   its  claws,  which  motion 
supported  both  it  and  the  diver  till  the  boat  came 
up  and  took  them  in.     When  the  turtles  are  dis- 
covered on  land,  where  they  go  to  lay  their  eggs, 
and   for  other  purposes,  being  amphibious  animals 
the  capture  is  more  easy,  for  the  men  merely  turn 
them  on  their  backs,  to  prevent   them  getting  back 
to  the  water,  and  so  they    are  taken  and  brought 
off  at  leisure. 

For  the  four  months  succeeding  the  visit  to  Quibo 
turtle  was  never  scarce  on  board  ship  ;  and  though 
the  sailors  had  hardly  set  foot  on  land  till  they  got 


FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 


there  (except  those  employed  in  the  attack  at 
Paita),  yet  in  the  whole  seven  months  after  leaving 
Juan  Fernandez  no  more  than  two  men  were  buried. 
This  freedom  from  fatal  diseases  was  ascribed  in  the 
first  place  to  the  wholesome  change  in  diet  and 
occupation,  after  the  long  and  disastrous  period  at 
sea  ;  and  latterly  to  the  feeding  on  turtle  for  four 
months,  which  proves  that  this  diet  was  at  least 
innocent,  if  not  something  more.  It  is  remarkable 
that  at  that  time,  whatever  it  may  be  now,  there  was 
the  utmost  aversion  to  turtle  as  food  both  among 
the  Spaniards  and  among  the  Indians  and  negroes. 
The  slaves  who  were  retained  to  help  in  navigating 
the  ships  were  astonished  on  seeing  the  sailors 
eating  such  food,  and  were  fully  persuaded  it  would 
destroy  them  ;  but  gradually  they  got  over  their 
prejudice,  and  ate  of  it  heartily,  preferring  it  to  any 
sort  of  provision. 

In  three  days  all  the  business  that  took  the 
'  squadron  to  Quibo  was  completed,  and  the  Com- 
modore was  naturally  anxious  to  lose  no  time  so 
as  to  get  to  the  Mexican  coast  before  the  Manilla 
galleon  was  due  there.  For  all  accounts  led  to  the 
conclusion  that  it  seldom  got  to  Acapulco  before 
the  middle  of  January,  and  sometimes  as  late  as  the 
middle  of  February.  It  being  as  yet  early  in  the 
month  of  December,  there  was  every  hope  of  being 
in  time.  But  at  sea  in  those  times  all  depended  on 
the  winds    and   waves.     The    anchors   were    to    be 


TO  QUIBO  AND  THE  COASTS  OF  MEXICO.     199 

weighed  on  the  7th  of  December,  but  the  wind 
being  contrary  detained  them  a  night  ;  and  next 
day,  when  they  got  into  the  offing,  through  the 
same  channel  by  which  they  had  entered  the  road- 
stead, they  were  obliged  to  keep  hovering  about  the 
island  in  hope  of  getting  sight  of  the  '  Gloucester,' 
which  was  separated  from  the  others  on  the  first 
arrival.  It  was  the  9th  of  December  when  they 
put  to  sea;  and  on  the  10th,  still  looking  out  for 
the  '  Gloucester,'  a  small  sail  was  descried  to  the 
northward,  to  which  chase  was  given,  and  she 
was  soon  taken.  She  proved  to  be  a  barque  from 
Panama,  called  the  '  Jesu  Nazareno.'  She  had 
no  cargo  except  some  oakum  and  about  a  ton  of 
rock  salt,  and  between  £30  and  £40  in  specie, 
chiefly  small  silver,  for  purchasing  provisions  at 
Cheripe,  a  village  on  the  continent.  It  was  noted, 
for  the  benefit  of  future  voyagers  in  those  parts, 
that  at  Cheripe  there  is  always  plentiful  store 
of  provisions,  prepared  for  vessels  which  go  thither 
every  week  from  Panama,  the  market  of  Panama 
being  largely  supplied  from  thence.  By  putting  a 
few  hands  on  board  their  prize,  any  quantity  of 
provisions  could  have  been  seized  without  hazard, 
the  place  having  no  fortifications  or  defences.  To 
purchase  provisions  from  peaceful  villages  was  an 
idea  unthought  of  in  those  times,  which  were  cer- 
tainly less  the  days  of  chivalry  and  honour  for 
Englishmen  than  days   more    modern.     Wellington 


200  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

paid  for  everything  wherever  his  troops  went,  but 
Spaniards  and  Frenchmen  have  always  helped  them- 
selves to  plunder  from  old  times  till  now. 

On  the  1 2th  of  December  the  anxiety  about  the 
1  Gloucester '  was  removed  by  her  joining.  The 
captain  reported  that  in  tacking  to  the  southward, 
on  their  first  arrival  at  Quibo,  she  had  sprung  her 
fore-top-mast,  which  had  caused  the  delay.  After 
scuttling  and  sinking  the  new  prize  barque,  all  sail 
stood  to  the  westward,  leaving  Quibo  about  nine 
days  after  first  coming  in  sight  of  it,  notwithstand- 
ing all  the  hindrances  that  had  occurred. 

The  same  day  the  Commodore  delivered  fresh 
instructions  to  the  captains  of  the  ships  of  war,  and 
to  the  commander  of  the  prizes,  appointing  the 
rendezvouses  they  were  to  make,  and  the  courses 
they  were  to  steer  in  case  of  separation.  They  were 
in  the  first  place  to  use  all  possible  dispatch  in 
getting  to  the  northward  of  the  harbour  of  Acapulco, 
where  they  were  to  endeavour  to  fall  in  with  the 
land  between  the  latitude  of  1 8°  and  1 9° ;  then  they 
were  to  bear  up  the  coast  at  eight  or  ten  leagues' 
distance  from  the  shore  till  they  came  abreast  of 
Cape  Corrientes,  in  latitude  20°  20'.  After  arriving 
there  they  were  to  continue  cruising  on  that  station 
till  the  14th  of  February,  when  they  were  to  make 
for  the  middle  island  of  the  Tres  Marias  in  latitude 
210  25' ;  bearing  from  Cape  Corrientes  N.W.  by  N., 
twenty-five  leagues  distant.     If  at  this  island  they 


TO  qui  BO  AND  THE  COASTS  OF  MEXICO.     201 

did  not  meet  the  Commodore  they  were  then  to 
recruit  their  wood  and  water,  and  immediately  pro- 
ceed for  the  island  of  Macao  on  the  coast  of  China. 

These  orders  were  distributed  to  all  the  ships. 
There  was  every  expectation  of  their  being  easily 
carried  out,  as  it  was  supposed  that  on  increasing 
the  offing  from  Quibo  the  regular  trade-winds  would 
be  met  with.  But  to  their  extreme  vexation  they 
were  baffled  and  delayed  for  more  than  a  month, 
either  by  tempestuous  weather  from  the  western 
quarter,  or  by  dead  calms,  with  sultry  air,  alternating 
with  heavy  rains,  so  that  it  was  not  till  the  25  th  of 
December  the  island  of  Cocos  was  sighted,  which  was 
only  about  a  hundred  leagues  from  the  continent ;  and 
even  then  they  had  the  mortification  to  make  so  little 
way  that  after  five  days  they  had  not  lost  sight  of 
this  island,  which  is  in  the  latitude  of  50  20'  North. 
From  Cocos  they  stood  W.  by  N.,  and  were  till  the 
9th  of  January  in  running  a  hundred  leagues  more. 
This  slow  rate  of  progress  was  very  disheartening, 
and  the  visions  of  wealth  were  quickly  vanishing. 
A  gale  springing  up  on  the  evening  of  that  day,  the 
9th,  awakened  new  hope  and  energy,  upon  which 
the  '  Centurion  '  took  the  '  Carmelo '  in  tow,  and  the 
1  Gloucester'  the  'Carmin,'  making  all  sail  to  improve 
the  advantage  in  case  it  should  be  only  a  temporary 
passing  gale.  Next  day,  however,  the  wind  con- 
tinued in  the  same  quarter,  and  the  next  day  too 
with  such  strength  and  steadiness  that  none  could 


202  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

doubt  that  it  was  the  true  trade-wind.  This  con- 
tinued without  alteration  till  the  17th  of  January, 
when  latitude  120  51'  had  been  reached,  on  which 
day  the  wind  shifted  to  the  westward  of  north.  The 
change  was  imputed  to  their  having  haled  up  too  soon, 
though  they  reckoned  they  were  full  seventy  leagues 
from  the  coast ;  for  they  had  a  settled  idea  that  the 
trade-winds  were  only  regular  and  powerful  at  con- 
siderable distance  from  the  mainland.  Yet  although 
the  wind  was  not  so  good  as  at  first  it  was,  advance 
was  made,  and  on  the  26th  of  January,  being  then 
well  north  of  Acapulco,  they  tacked  and  stood  to 
the  eastward,  with  a  view  of  making  the  land.  This 
was  expected  to  be  sighted  on  the  28th,  according 
to  their  reckonings,  but  though  the  weather  was 
perfectly  clear  they  had  no  sight  of  it  at  sunset,  and 
therefore  continued  their  course,  not  doubting  but 
they  should  see  it  next  morning.  About  ten  that 
night  a  light  was  seen  on  the  larboard  bow,  bearing 
from  the  N.N.E.  The  light  being  very  high,  it  was 
conjectured  that  this  was  a  signal  aloft  for  the 
guidance  of  other  vessels,  or  of  a  consort.  What 
if  this  should  prove  to  be  the  Manilla  ship  !  The 
'  Carmelo,'  then  in  tow,  was  instantly  cast  off  by 
the  '  Centurion,'  and  a  signal  was  given  to  the 
'  Gloucester '  to  do  the  same.  Then  both  ships 
made  for  the  mysterious  light,  all  kinds  of  conjec- 
tures being  rife,  and  some  affirming  that  the  canvas 
of  a  ship  was  visible.     The  Commodore  himself  was 


TO  QUIBO  AND  THE  COASTS  OF  MEXICO.    203 

so  sanguine  that  he  sent  for  the  first  lieutenant,  and 
directed  him  to  see  that  all  the  great  guns  were 
loaded  with  two  round  shot  and  one  grape,  charging 
him  at  the  same  time  not  to  suffer  a  gun  to  be  fired 
till  he  himself  gave  orders,  saying  he  would  not  fire 
till  within  pistol-shot  of  the  Spaniard.  In  this 
excited  and  eager  state  the  night  was  passed,  ex- 
pecting every  minute  to  come  near  the  enemy, 
and  visions  of  millions  of  dollars  rising  in  some 
imaginations. 

When  morning  broke,  and  daylight  appeared, 
great  was  the  vexation  and  disappointment  in 
finding  that  the  light  which  had  occasioned  all  this 
bustle  and  expectancy  was  not  at  sea  at  all,  but 
on  shore !  Such  is  the  power  of  imagination  in 
clouding  the  judgment,  that  no  one  on  board 
doubted  of  its  being  a  ship's  light,  and  at  no  great 
distance,  whereas  it  was  a  fire  far  off  on  a  moun- 
tain, possibly  lighted,  as  some  afterwards  said, 
according  to  custom,  in  order  to  guide  expected 
ships  to  port. 

However,  as  they  were  certainly  near  the  track 
taken  by  vessels  making  for  Acapulco,  the  ships 
were  spread  out  at  a  distance  of  twelve  leagues 
from  the  coast,  in  such  a  way  that  it  was  impossible 
the  Manilla  ship  could  pass  unobserved.  The  only 
doubt  was  as  to  whether  she  might  not  already 
have  arrived  before  the  fleet  came  upon  the  station. 
To  remove  this  perplexing  doubt  the   Commodore 


204  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

resolved  to  send  a  boat,  under  cover  of  the  night, 
into  the  harbour  to  ascertain  if  the  Manilla  ship 
was  there  or  not.  One  of  the  Indians  being  very 
positive  that  this  could  be  done  without  discovery, 
the  barge  was  despatched  on  the  6th  of  February, 
with  a  sufficient  crew,  under  two  officers,  and  taking 
the  Spanish  pilot  and  the  Indian  who  insisted  on 
the  facility  of  the  project.  The  barge  did  not 
return  till  the  i  ith,  the  officers  reporting  that  there 
was  nothing  like  a  port  or  harbour  at  the  place 
where  it  had  been  asserted  to  be  ;  that  on  satis- 
fying themselves  of  this  they  had  steered  to  east- 
ward, coasting  along-shore  for  above  thirty-two 
leagues  ;  that  in  their  whole  range  they  had  found 
nothing  but  long  sandy  beaches,  over  which  the  sea 
broke  with  violence,  so  that  no  boat  could  land  ; 
and  finally,  that  at  the  end  of  their  run  they  did  see 
two  'pap-like  heights,'  said  to  be  landmarks  for  the 
port,  at  a  great  distance  to  the  eastward,  but  so  far 
off  that  they  could  not  attempt  to  reach  them,  their 
provisions  and  water  being  almost  exhausted,  and 
barely  sufficient  to  last  till  they  got  back.  It  was 
just  possible  that  these  hillocks  were  the  ones 
intended  by  the  pilot  and  the  Indians,  if  it  was 
true  that  eminences  of  the  shape  did  exist  behind 
the  harbour  of  Acapulco. 

Accordingly,  the  Commodore,  after  sailing  to  the 
eastward,  determined  to  send  the  barge  again  on 
the    same     enterprise,     when     within     a    moderate 


TO  QUIBO  AND  THE  COASTS  OF  MEXICO.    205 

distance.  The  new  attempt  was  made  on  the  12th 
of  February,  the  officers  being  straitly  charged 
not  to  let  themselves  be  seen  from  the  shore. 
After  waiting  six  days  from  the  despatch  of  the 
boat,  and  when  the  Commodore  began  to  feel 
uneasy  at  the  prolonged  absence,  she  returned, 
reporting  that  they  had  found  the  port  of  Acapulco, 
which  they  estimated  was  at  least  fifty  leagues 
distant,  bearing  from  where  they  now  were  E.S.E. 
On  the  1 7th  of  February,  abuot  two  in  the  morning, 
they  got  within  the  island  that  lies  at  the  mouth  of 
the  harbour,  but  neither  the  Spanish  pilot  nor  the 
Indians  appeared  to  be  able  to  give  any  accurate 
information  where  they  then  were.  While  lying 
upon  their  oars  in  suspense  what  to  do  next,  a 
small  light  was  seen  on  the  surface  of  the  water. 
Towards  this  they  moved  as  silently  as  possible, 
and  found  that  the  light  was  in  a  fishing  canoe, 
which  they  surprised,  with  three  negroes  belonging 
to  it.  The  negroes  were  at  first  about  to  jump 
overboard  and  swim  to  land,  but  a  fowling-piece 
being  presented  at  them  they  submitted,  and  were 
taken  into  the  barge.  The  officers  had  the  tact  to 
turn  the  canoe  adrift  against  the  face  of  a  rock, 
where  it  would  certainly  be  dashed  to  pieces  by  the 
waves  ;  this  they  did  to  deceive  those  who  might 
come  to  look  after  the  missing  canoe,  who  on  seeing 
the  signs  of  a  wreck  would  conclude  that  the  men 
had  been  drowned,  and  would  have  no  suspicion  of 


206  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

their  having  been  carried  off.  Having  taken  this  pre- 
caution the  barge  put  to  sea,  and  by  daylight  had 
gained  such  an  offing  as  rendered  it  impossible  for 
them  to  be  seen  from  the  coast. 

From  these  negroes,  who  were  found  to  know 
very  well  what  passed  in  the  harbour  of  Acapulco, 
the  Commodore,  on  closely  questioning  them,  got  the 
information  that  the  Manilla  galleon  had  arrived 
there  on  the  9th  of  January,  which  was  about  twenty 
days  before  the  '  Centurion  '  fell  in  with  the  coast. 
At  the  same  time  they  told  that  the  ship  had 
delivered  her  cargo,  and  was  now  taking  in  water 
and  provisions  for  her  return  voyage.  The  Viceroy 
of  Mexico  had  by  proclamation  fixed  her  departure 
for  the  14th  of  March. 

This  news  was  joyfully  received,  for  new  hopes 
were  entertained,  rising  almost  to  certainty,  that  she 
would  fall  into  their  hands.  And  it  was  vastly 
more  desirable  to  seize  the  ship  on  her  return 
voyage,  inasmuch  as  the  specie  for  which  she  had 
sold  her  cargo,  and  which  she  would  now  have  on 
board,  would  be  prodigiously  more  esteemed  than 
the  cargo  itself,  however  valuable  ;  because  a  great 
part  of  it  would  have  perished  on  their  hands,  and 
none  of  it  could  have  been  disposed  of  by  them  at 
so  advantageous  a  mart  as  Acapulco. 


CHAPTER    XXIII. 

COMMERCE  BETWEEN  MANILLA  AND  ACAPULCO. 

TT  may  be  well  here  to  give  some  account  of 
-*■  the  commerce  carried  on  between  the  city  of 
Manilla,  on  the  island  of  Luzon,  or  Luconia,  and 
the  port  of  Acapulco  on  the  coast  of  Mexico.  In 
the  latter  part  of  the  fifteenth  century,  and  the  begin- 
ning of  the  sixteenth  century,  the  search  after  new 
countries  and  opening  up  new  branches  of  commerce 
was  the  ruling  passion  among  several  of  the  Euro- 
pean powers.  The  kings  of  Portugal  and  of  Spain 
were  those  most  deeply  and  successfully  engaged 
in  these  enterprises  ;  the  Spaniards  having  first  dis- 
covered the  rich  and  vast  continent  of  America, 
while  the  Portuguese,  doubling  the  Cape  of  Good 
Hope,  had  opened  a  new  route  to  the  East,  and 
made  commercial  settlements  in  the  southern  parts 
of  India  and  adjacent  islands.  The  English  and 
the  Dutch,  being  also  great  naval  and  trading 
nations,  were  equally  busy  with  such  enterprises  ; 
but  the  two  nations  of  the  Peninsula,  Spain  and 
Portugal,  in  those  times  had  the  largest  proportion 


208  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

of  new  territories  and  of  the  commerce  that  followed 
their  flags. 

These  two  nations  soon  came  into  collision,  and 
being  extremely  jealous  of  each  other,  became  ap- 
prehensive of  mutual  encroachments.  Being  both 
faithful  and  zealous  vassals  of  the  Romish  See,  their 
disputes  were  submitted  to  the  Pope,  Alexander  VI., 
who  for  a  time  settled  their  claims  by  granting  to 
the  Spanish  crown  the  dominion  and  property  of 
all  places,  known  or  yet  to  be  discovered,  a  hundred 
leagues  to  the  westward  of  the  Azores,  leaving  all 
regions  to  the  eastward  of  this  limit  to  the  Portu- 
guese. The  boundary  was  by  mutual  agreement 
afterwards  changed  to  a  limit  of  two  hundred  and 
fifty  leagues  more  to  the  westward.  By  this 
arrangement  the  Spaniards  presumed  that  the 
Portuguese  would  be  prevented  from  interfering  with 
their  settlements  and  commerce  in  the  New  World  ; 
and  the  Portuguese  supposed  that  their  East  Indian 
possessions,  as  well  as  the  Spice  Islands  and  other 
maritime  possessions  in  the  East,  would  not  be 
interfered  with  by  Spain. 

The  Holy  Father  proved  not  to  be  '  infallible  '  in 
the  matter  of  geography,  for  he  did  not  foresee  that 
the  Spaniards  by  pursuing  their  discoveries  in  a 
westward  direction,  and  the  Portuguese  theirs  in  an 
eastern  direction,  would  at  last  meet,  and  be  again 
in  the  same  hostile  position  and  commercial  rivalry 
as  before ;  which  happened  not  long  afterwards. 


COMMERCE.  209 


Ferdinand  Magellan,  an  officer  in  the  service  of 
the  King  of  Portugal,  on  account  of  some  affront, 
or  deeming  his  importance  not  appreciated  by  his 
own  country,  entered  into  the  service  of  the  King 
of  Spain.  Like  other  renegades,  he  showed  peculiar 
vindictiveness  in  trying  to  injure  his  first  masters, 
by  showing  how  he  could  increase  the  power  and 
wealth  of  his  new  employers.  Knowing  that  the 
Portuguese  justly  regarded  their  traffic  with  the 
Spice  Islands  as  their  most  valuable  acquisition  in 
the  East,  he  resolved  to  push  his  discoveries  and 
enterprises  still  to  the  westward,  and  so  give  the 
Spanish  monarch  a  right  to  interfere  both  in  the 
property  and  the  commerce  of  those  regions.  So, 
in  the  year  1 5 1 9,  Magellan  left  Seville  with  a 
powerful  expedition,  five  ships  and  nearly  two  hun- 
dred and  fifty  men  ;  stood  west  for  the  coast  of 
South  America,  in  accordance  with  the  literal  rights 
of  Spain  ;  and  then,  ranging  along  the  coasts,  he 
discovered,  in  October  1520,  those  world-famous 
Straits  which  bear  his  name,  opening  for  him  a 
passage  into  the   South   Seas. 

After  some  stay  on  the  coast  of  Peru,  he  again 
continued  his  course  westward  across  the  Pacific 
Ocean,  discovering  the  Ladrones  or  Marian  Islands, 
and  thence  reaching  the  Philippine  Islands.  In  a 
skirmish  with  the  natives  in  one  of  the  islands  he 
was  slain,  but  his  squadron  took  possession  of  the 
Philippine  group,  so  named   after  King  Philip,  and 

14 


210  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

these  islands  have  ever  since  continued  to  belong  to 
the  crown  of  Spain.  By  the  death  of  Magellan  his 
project  of  reaching  and  seizing  some  of  the  Spice 
Islands  was  thwarted,  although  those  who  succeeded 
Magellan  in  command  visited  them,  and  brought 
some  of  their  valued  products  back  to  Spain,  when 
they  returned  thither  round  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope. 
This  voyage  is  ever  memorable  as  being  the  first  de- 
monstration of  the  sphericity  of  the  earth,  Magellan's 
ships  being  the  first  to  sail  round  the  world. 

Although  failing  to  acquire  the  possession  of  any 
of  the  Spice  Islands,  the  Philippine  Islands  were  seen 
to  be  of  vast  importance,  not  only  for  obtaining 
productions  similar  to  those  by  which  the  Portu- 
guese had  amassed  such  wealth,  but  also  from  their 
position  as  convenient  for  trade  with  China  and  other 
parts  of  the  East.  A  communication  was  therefore 
soon  established  between  these  islands  and  the 
Spanish  colonies  on  the  coast  of  Peru.  Steps  were 
also  taken  to  occupy  the  islands,  and  to  found  a  chief 
city,  which  should  be  the  mart  for  all  Eastern  articles 
of  commerce,  which  were  brought  there  by  merchants 
from  every  region  for  being  sold,  the  returns  for 
this  commerce  being  principally  in  silver,  the  common 
currency  in  the  East. 

The  Philippine  Islands  were  indeed  a  vast  addition 
to  the  dominions  of  Spain.  The  group  so  named, 
extending  between  50  and  20°  north  of  the  equator, 
included  nearly  a  thousand  islands  and  islets  ;  most 


COMMERCE.  211 

of  them  small,  but  several  of  considerable  size,  the 
two  largest,  Luzon  and  Mindanao,  being  respectively 
41,100  and  34,000  square  miles  in  area.  A  dozen 
other  islands  range  in  area  from  5,000  to  2,000 
square  miles  each  ;  the  whole  group  forming  an  area 
of  113,000  square  miles,  with  a  population  which 
speedily  grew  to  be  numbered  by  millions.  At  the 
present  time  they  are  not  far  from  eight  millions. 
Their  productions  are  numerous  and  valuable  ;  the 
manufacture  of  tobacco  in  the  shape  of  cigars  and 
cheroots  giving  employment  to  20,000  or  25,000 
persons.  The  city  of  Manilla  has  increased  to  be 
now  a  place  with  probably  175,000  population, 
having  extensive  trade  with  Great  Britain,  the 
United  States,  Australia,  Singapore,  and  Hong  Kong. 
The  chief  Spanish  settlement  at  first  was  at  Cebu, 
but  Manilla  was  founded  in  1581,  and  has  ever 
since  been  the  seat  of  government,  the  residence  of 
the  Spanish  Viceroy,  and  the  centre  of  trade  and 
commerce. 

At  the  time  of  Commodore  Anson's  expedition 
the  commerce  was  almost  entirely  confined  to  one 
channel,  and  that  was  to  Mexico,  to  which  was  con- 
veyed all  the  various  merchandise  arriving  at  Manilla 
from  many  regions,  while  American  silver  came  in 
return  as  payment. 

When  this  trade  was  first  commenced,  it  was 
between  Manilla  and  Callao,  in  northern  Peru,  the 
pest   harbour  on  the  Peruvian  coast,  and    also  the 


212  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

port  of  Lima,  the  capital  and  seat  of  government. 
Although  the  distance  between  these  two  ports  was 
above  three  thousand  leagues,  the  voyage  to  the 
Philippines  was  often  made  in  little  more  than  two 
months,  because  the  regular  trade-winds  made  the 
voyage  speedy  and  certain.  But  the  return  voyage 
from  Manilla  was  most  tedious  and  uncertain,  some- 
times lasting  during  the  greater  part  of  a  year,  the 
ships  having  to  ply  against  the  wind.  By  the  advice 
of  some  old  navigators  the  course  was  altered — 
steering  northward  till  clear  of  the  trade-winds,  and 
then  getting  into  the  range  of  westerly  winds,  which 
took  them  towards  the  coast  of  California.  Therefore 
the  regular  station  on  the  American  side  of  the  ocean 
was,  at  a  very  early  period,  changed  from  Callao  to 
Acapulco  on  the  coast  of  Mexico,  one  of  the  finest 
ports  on  the  Pacific  coast.  This  had  long  been  the 
course  of  the  trade  when  Anson  came  to  these  seas. 
The  traffic  from  Manilla  was  very  great,  not  only 
across  the  Pacific  to  the  Mexican  coast,  but  to  and 
from  all  parts  of  China  and  India,  from  which  such 
commodities  were  brought  as  were  intended  to  supply 
the  wealthy  kingdoms  or  provinces  of  Mexico,  Peru, 
and  other  parts  of  the  New  World.  The  rich  fleets 
attracted  the  attention  of  pirates,  buccaneers,  and 
other  sea-robbers,  so  that  strongly-armed  ships  had 
to  be  employed,  either  for  the  carrying  of  cargoes  or 
for  the  protection  of  merchant  ships.  By  degrees  it 
came  to  be  the  custom  for  one  or  two  very  large 


COMMERCE.  .  213 

and  powerful  vessels  to  undertake  the  great  voyage 
across  the  ocean,  and  these  great  armed  ships  were 
the  famous  Manilla  galleons  which  were  talked  about 
in  every  European  country,  and  which  were  now, 
near  the  middle  of  the  eighteenth  century,  the  object 
of  Commodore  Anson's  attention.  In  his  time  the 
trade  usually  was  carried  on  in  one,  or  at  most  two 
ships,  which  sailed  from  Manilla  about  July,  arriving 
in  Acapulco  at  varying  times,  from  the  middle  of 
December  to  the  middle  of  February  ;  and,  having 
disposed  of  their  merchandise,  returning  for  Manilla 
in  March,  and  arriving  generally  in  June — the  whole 
voyage  occupying  nearly  a  year.  Though  only  one 
ship  was  usually  sent  out  at  a  time,  there  was  always 
another  gathering  its  freight  and  ready  for  sea  on 
the  arrival  of  the  first ;  and  therefore  this  vast 
commerce  was  provided  with  several  great  ships, 
three  or  four,  that  in  case  of  any  mishap  or  accident 
the  trade  might  not  be  suspended.  These  were 
King's  ships,  all  of  them  commissioned  and  paid  by 
him,  and  one  of  the  commanders  was  styled  the 
General,  who  carried  the  royal  standard  of  Spain  at 
the  main-top-gallant  mast-head.  They  were  equal  to 
first-rate  men-of-war,  of  1,500  to  2,000  tons  burden, 
and  with  crews  of  several  hundred  men,  and  never 
less  than  fifty  guns.  One  or  two  of  the  vessels  were 
reported  to  exceed  largely  these  figures,  so  that  it  was 
no  light  enterprise  for  Anson  to  seek  to  capture  such 
a  ship. 


£i4  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

Before  returning  to  the  story  of  Anson's  voyage, 
it  may  be  interesting  to  give  one  or  two  more 
details  about  the  galleons  and  their  proceedings. 
The  method  of  their  storage  of  water  on  board  was 
peculiar.  In  the  South  Seas  the  custom  of  the 
Spaniards  in  those  times  was  to  carry  water  not  in 
casks  or  in  tanks,  as  now,  but  in  large  earthen  jars, 
like  the  large  oil-jars  with  which  we  are  familiar  in 
Europe,  or  in  the  eastern  story  of  "  AH  Baba  and  the 
Forty  Thieves."  With  a  crew  of  some  hundreds,  and 
as  many  passengers  sometimes,  a  large  stock  of 
water  must  be  provided.  When  the  Manilla  ship 
first  put  to  sea  she  took  on  board  a  much  greater 
quantity  of  water  than  could  bz  stowed  between 
decks,  and  the  jars  containing  it  were  hung  all  about 
the  shrouds  and  stays,  exhibiting  at  a  distance  a 
very  odd  appearance.  Fresh  supply  when  wanted 
was  got  from  catching  rain  as  it  fell,  mats  being 
ranged  against  the  gunwales  slopingly,  the  lower 
edges  of  the  mats  resting  on  large  slit  bamboos, 
from  which,  as  a  trough  or  drain,  the  water  was 
conveyed  to  replenish  the  jars. 

The  usual  course  in  going  to  Mexico  was,  as 
already  mentioned,  to  steer  north  so  far  as  to  meet 
westerly  winds.  When  the  ship  had  run  into  the 
longitude  of  about  ioo°  from  Cape  Espirito  Santo, 
it  was  usual  to  look  out  for  weed  floating  on  the 
sea,  which  indicated  proximity  to  the  shore  of 
California,  when    the    course  was  taken  southward, 


COMMERCE.  215 


keeping  well  out  to  sea  till  near  the  latitude  of 
Cape  St.  Lucas,  to  ascertain  their  reckoning  at  that 
point,  and  to  gather  from  the  Indians  if  any 
enemies  were  on  the  coast.  The  inhabitants  in  that 
neighbourhood  are  directed,  on  sight  of  the  vessels, 
to  make  the  proper  signals  with  fires.  Then  the 
captain  sends  his  launch  on  shore  with  letters,  and 
with  supplies,  to  the  Jesuit  convents  on  that  terri- 
tory, who  are  thus  in  correspondence  with  their 
brethren  in  Manilla.  If  the  captain  hears  that  the 
coast  is  clear,  he  was  directed  then  to  proceed  from 
Cape  St.  Lucas  to  Cape  Corrientes,  from  which  he 
coasts  it  along  for  the  port  of  Acapulco. 

On  arriving  at  this  place,  a  poor  deserted-looking 
town  during  most  of  the  year,  merchants  and  traders 
flock  to  the  ship  from  every  part  of  Mexico.  The 
cargo  being  landed  and  disposed  of,  the  silver,  and 
the  provisions  and  water,  are  quickly  put  on  board, 
and  the  ship  is  got  ready  for  sea  with  the  utmost 
expedition.  There  was  generally  an  increase  of  the 
hands  on  the  return  voyage,"  and  besides  sailors  there 
were  soldiers,  to  relieve  or  to  reinforce  the  garrison 
in  the  Philippine  Islands.  Many  merchants  also  used 
to  take  advantage  of  the  security  of  so  well-manned 
and  armed  a  vessel,  so  that  often  there  were  six 
hundred  persons  on  board  in  the  return  voyage. 

On  leaving  Acapulco  the  captain  had  to  steer 
for  latitude  130  to  14,0  continuing  on  that  parallel 
till  the  island  of  Guam,  one  of  the  Ladrones,  was 


216  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

sighted.  Here  there  is  a  small  Spanish  garrison, 
and  means  for  getting  water  and  provisions  if 
wanted  ;  but  the  ship  rarely  stays  above  a  day  or 
two,  as  the  road  is  dangerous  in  rough  weather. 
Then  they  steer  for  Cape  Espirito  Santo,  and  for 
successive  stations,  approach  to  which  is  always 
helped  by  fire  signals,  and  at  each  station  inquiry 
is  made  as  to  the  probability  of  meeting  hostile 
cruisers,  or  pirates  strong  enough  to  be  feared. 
Such  were  the  arrangements  of  the  Manilla  ships 
in  the  days  of  Commodore  Anson,  whose  proceedings 
we  now  continue  to  narrate. 


CHAPTER    XXIV. 

CRUISING     OFF   ACAPULCO    FOR    THE    MANILLA 
SHIP. 

W  7  HEN    the   Commodore  ascertained   that  the 
*  *      ship  had  not  yet  sailed  from  Acapulco,  he 
resolved  to  cruise  off  the  Mexican  coast,  and  wait 
till  she  came  out.     The  disposition  of  the  squadron 
was  ordered   in   the   best  way  for   intercepting  the 
galleon,  and  at  the   same  time  not  to  be  descried 
from  the  shore.     The  '  Centurion  '  kept  in  sight  the 
two  pap-like  hills  over  the  harbour,  bearing  from  her 
N.N.E.  at  fifteen  leagues  distant,  a  sufficient  offing 
to  prevent  their  being  seen  by  the  Spaniards.     To 
the  westward  of  the  Commodore's  ship  was  stationed 
the    '  Carmelo,'    and    to    the    eastward    the    '  Tryal 
Prize,'    the    'Gloucester,'   and    the   'Carmin.'     The 
'  Carmelo '   and   the   '  Carmin '  formed   the  extreme 
ends    of  the  arc  of  a  circle,  all   the  vessels  twelve 
leagues  from   each   other,  but   all   so  connected  by 
signals  that  it  was  impossible  for  the  galleon  to  pass 
unobserved,  as  she    could    certainly  be   seen    above 
six  leagues  off.     The  two  cutters  belonging  to  the 


218  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

'  Centurion  '  and  the  '  Gloucester  '  were  manned  and 
sent  in  shore,  with  orders  to  lie  all  day  at  about 
four  or  five  leagues  from  the  entrance  to  the  port, 
where  from  their  small  size  they  could  not  be  seen. 
In  the  night  they  were  to  move  in  nearer  the  port, 
and  return  to  their  post  of  observation  each  morning. 

On  board  the  ships  every  preparation  was  being 
made  for  an  engagement.  As  only  the  '  Centurion  ' 
and  '  Gloucester '  were  capable  of  coming  to  close 
quarters  and  lying  alongside  of  the  big  Spanish  ship, 
the  Commodore  strengthened  the  crews  of  those 
two  vessels  by  taking  from  the  '  Carmelo '  and 
'  Carmin  '  all  the  best  men,  leaving  only  sufficient 
for  navigating  these  prizes.  The  negroes  in  the 
1  Tryal's '  prize  were  encouraged  by  promise  of 
getting  their  freedom  on  condition  of  good  behaviour. 
They  had  been  drilled  along  with  the  crew,  and 
trained  to  the  management  of  the  great  guns  for  the 
preceding  two  months,. and  always  kindly  treated  ;  so 
that  on  the  '  Gloucester,'  to  which  they  were  drafted, 
they  could  be  counted  on  to  do  good  service. 

When  the  3rd  of  March  came,  the  day  fixed  by 
proclamation  for  the  sailing  of  the  galleon,  all 
were  in  the  highest  pitch  of  excitement.  The  day 
passed,  and  the  night,  and  the  next  day  and  the 
next  night,  but  no  signs  of  the  ship  appeared. 
Hope  still  was  kept  up,  nor  was  vigilance  abated  ; 
but  when  the  7th  day  of  March  came,  which  was 
Sunday  in   Passion  Week,  a   time  observed  by  the 


CRUISING   OFF  ACAPULCO.  219 

Papists  by  cessation  from  all  ordinary  labours,  the 
expectation  of  the  sight  of  the  ship  was  postponed 
till  the  week  following.  A  visit  from  the  cutters 
reassured  the  Commodore  that  the  galleon  was 
still  in  port,  for  she  could  not  possibly  have  come 
out  without  their  seeing  her.  This  was  on  Friday 
the  1 2th  of  March.  On  Monday  following,  the  1 5th, 
the  cutters  were  sent  back  to  their  station  off  the 
port,  and  the  hopes  in  the  fleet  remained  sanguine 
as  before. 

But  when  after  a  week  from  that  no  appearance 
of  movement  was  signalled,  the  eagerness  of  hope 
was  greatly  lessened,  and  a  depressing  feeling  of 
despondency  spread  through  the  fleet.  It  began 
to  be  thought,  and  the  Commodore  himself  had 
that  conviction,  that  the  sailing  of  the  galleon 
had  been  countermanded,  and  this  because  the 
Governor  had  suspicion,  if  not  certainty,  of  enemies 
being  on  the  look-out.  On  questioning  the  negroes 
taken  in  the  Acapulco  fishing-boat,  it  was  ascertained 
that  the  taking  of  Paita  was  well  known  to  the 
Governor,  and  the  fact  of  English  cruisers  being  off 
the  coast  was  universally  known  to  the  people,  and 
especially  to  the  merchants,  whose  freights  were 
in  peril.  Consequently  it  was  extremely  probable 
that  the  sailing  of  the  galleon  had  been  put  off 
for  the  present,  if  not  for  the  whole  year,  as  was 
sometimes  done  in  seasons  of  danger.  What  was 
now  to  be  done  ? 


220  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

The  Commodore,  in  the  vexation  of  disappoint- 
ment, thought  that  he  would  make  a  dash  at 
Acapulco  itself,  as  he  had  done  at  Paita,  and  so 
secure  all  the  treasure  to  be  found  there,  whether 
in  the  galleon  ready  for  sailing,  or  in  the  ware- 
houses on  shore.  His  idea  was  to  take  the  ships 
as  near  as  he  could  to  the  port  without  being 
discovered,  and  then  to  surprise  the  place  by  a  night 
attack  with  all  the  boats.  This  plea  was  abandoned 
chiefly  because  he  learned  from  the  prisoners  (and 
it  was  confirmed  by  the  officers  of  the  cutters)  that 
near  the  coast  there  was  at  this  season  always 
a  dead  calm  for  the  greatest  part  of  the  night,  and 
that  towards  morning,  when  a  breeze  usually  sprang 
up,  the  wind  blew  constantly  off  the  land.  To 
move  in  from  the  offing  in  the  evening,  as  he  had 
proposed,  and  arrive  at  the  port  before  daylight,  he 
found  to  be  impossible. 

Things  continued  in  this  state  of  suspense  and 
of  disappointment  till  the  23rd  of  March,  when  the 
cutters  had  been  ordered  to  return  to  the  ships 
They  did  not  appear  till  the  following  day,  having 
been  drifted  to  the  leeward  by  a  strong  current, 
which  had,  in  fact,  driven  the  whole  squadron  to 
windward.  On  the  arrival  of  the  cutters  the 
Commodore  made-  a  signal  for  all  the  commanders 
to  come  on  board  the  '  Centurion  '  for  a  conference. 
On  inquiry  it  was  found  that  the  stock  of  water 
on   all   the    ships   was   low,    and   that  it   would  be 


CRUISING  OFF  ACAPULCO.  221 

necessary  to  quit  the  present  station  to  procure 
a  fresh  supply.  It  was  agreed  that  the  harbour 
of  Chequeta,  being  nearest,  was  the  most  eligible, 
and  orders  were  given  to  make  for  that  place,  at 
the  same  time  resolving  that  the  cutter  under  Mr. 
Hughes  of  the  '  Tryal's '  prize,  was  to  cruise  off 
Acapulco  for  twenty-four  days  longer,  in  case  of  the 
possibility  of  the  galleon  coming  out  after  the 
disappearance  of  the  fleet.  The  arrival  at  the 
intended  port  was  not  speedy,  as  the  progress  was 
retarded  and  often  interrupted  by  calm  and  by 
adverse  currents.  In  these  intervals  the  Commo- 
dore employed  his  crews  in  taking  out  from  the 
'  Carmelo  '  and  '  Carmin '  all  that  was  valuable  on 
board,  with  the  intention  of  destroying  these  prize 
vessels  as  soon  as  they  were  tolerably  cleared,  and 
then  the  remaining  ships  would  be  reinforced  with 
men  and  with  stores. 

By  the  1st  of  April  they  were  so  far  advanced 
towards  Chequeta,  a  place  described  by  Dampier 
in  his  voyages,  that  boats  were  sent  along  the  coast 
to  find  the  entrance  to  the  port,  which  is  in  latitude 
1 70  36'  north,  and  about  thirty  leagues  to  the 
westward  of  Acapulco.  In  good  weather  the  place 
was  safe  for  anchorage,  but  in  rough  weather  the 
surf  breaking  on  the  beach  rendered  the  landing 
of  boats  impossible.  On  the  most  fertile  and 
populous  district  of  the  coast,  it  was  observed  with 
surprise  that  not  a  single  boat  or  canoe  could  be 


222  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

seen,  either  for  fishing  or  for  pleasure  ;  and  the 
only  explanation  conjectured  was  that  the  Govern- 
ment had  prohibited  the  use  of  all  small  crafts  in 
order  to  prevent  smuggling.  The  country  adjacent 
seemed  to  be  well-cultivated  and  populous,  and  it 
was  hoped  that  a  stock  of  good  provisions,  as  well 
as  of  water,  could  be  here  obtained.  Instructions 
were  given  to  behave  to  the  natives  with  great 
civility,  and  to  procure  provisions  by  bartering  with 
some  of  the  stores,  otherwise  not  of  much  use, 
in  the  cargo  taken  in  the  prize-ships.  Some 
hostility,  however,  began  to  be  shown  by  the  in- 
habitants, and  Mr.  Brett  was  attacked  when  on 
shore  near  the  neighbouring  Bay  of  Petaplan  by 
a  troop  of  horse.  The  sailors  had  to  fire  in  self- 
defence,  and  the  Spaniards  were  driven  back  to  the 
woods  only  after  a  sharp  skirmish.  This  affair 
caused  it  to  be  necessary  to  station  one  or  two 
boats  off  the  coast  to  await  the  return  of  the 
cutter  left  before  Acapulco,  for  that  crew  might 
have  landed  without  suspecting  danger,  and  been 
cut  off  by  the  exasperated  Spaniards  at  Petaplan. 
All  this  detained  the  squadron  longer  at  Chequeta 
than  the  Commodore  at  first  intended  ;  but  the  men 
were  usefully  occupied  in  fishing,  catching  turtle, 
and  living  on  animal  as  well  as  vegetable  food, 
such  as  improved  the  men's  health  and  strength 
perceptibly.  They  were  also  employed  in  com- 
pleting the    unloading    of  the    '  Carmelo '    and  the 


CRUISING   OFF  ACAPULCO.  223 

'  Carmin  ; '  and  further,  after  a  mature  consideration, 
it  was  determined  to  get  rid  also  of  the  '  Tryal's  ' 
prize.  This  was  in  good  condition,  and  fit  for  the 
sea  ;  but  as  the  whole  number  on  board  the 
squadron  did  not  amount  to  the  complement  of 
a  fourth-rate  man-of-war,  it  was  impossible  to 
divide  them  into  three  or  four  ships,  whether  for 
navigating  safely  in  stormy  weather,  or  in  case 
of  encountering  an  enemy.  Therefore  all  the  stores 
on  board  the  '  Tryal's '  prize  were  removed  into  the 
other  ships,  and  the  three  prizes  were  got  ready  for 
scuttling.  This  proceeding,  and  the  necessary 
repairs  of  the  rigging,  and  other  occupations,  took 
up  so  much  time,  that  it  was  near  the  end  of  April 
before  there  was  any  prospect  of  leaving.  It  ought 
to  have  been  mentioned,  also,  that  after  the  affair 
at  Petaplan,  the  people  of  Chequeta  became 
openly  hostile,  and  the  getting  of  the  water  from 
the  lake  and  river  at  some  distance  from  the  beach, 
could  only  be  done  under  protection  of  a  strong 
armed  guard,  who  went  with  the  men  fetching  the 
water. 

The  men  were  strictly  cautioned  not  to  straggle, 
and  never  to  go  beyond  a  certain  point  in  the  forest 
paths  towards  the  lake,  which  was  fortified,  and 
where  sentries  were  posted.  Notwithstanding  these 
cautions,  the  Commodore's  cook,  a  Frenchman,  Louis 
Leger,  was  missing.  As  he  was  a  Papist,  there  was 
a    suspicion   among  some  of  the  men  that  he  had 


224  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

deserted,  with  the  view  of  disclosing  all  that  he  knew 
to  the  enemy  ;  but  in  this  the  poor  Frenchman  was 
wronged,  for  he  was  as  true  to  Anson  as  a  kind 
master  as  was  the  French  cook  of  Wellington  at 
Waterloo.  It  was  afterwards  ascertained  that  Leger 
had  been  taken  by  some  Indians,  who  carried  him 
prisoner  to  Acapulco  ;  from  there  he  was  transferred 
to  Mexico,  and  then  to  Vera  Cruz,  where  he  was 
shipped  on  board  a  vessel  bound  to  Old  Spain.  By 
some  accident  the  ship  put  into  the  Tagus  at  Lisbon, 
where  Leger  made  his  escape  on  shore,  and  going 
to  the  British  Consul  was  by  him  concealed  till  he 
could  send  him  to  England.  In  this  singular  way 
was  the  first  tidings  conveyed  of  the  safety  of  the 
Commodore,  and  of  his  principal  proceedings  in  the 
South  Seas.  The  cook's  account  of  himself  was 
that  he  had  rambled  into  the  woods  at  Chequeta 
to  get  some  fresh  limes  for  his  master's  store,  and 
when  thus  employed  he  was  surprised  by  the  Indians, 
and  taken  as  prisoner  to  Acapulco.  The  treatment 
he  everywhere  received  from  the  Spaniards  was  se- 
vere and  inhuman,  showing  the  bitter  hatred  of  that 
nation  to  the  English,  and  to  all  who  were  employed 
by  them.  Poor  Louis  Leger  met  with  a  sad  end 
after  passing  through  so  many  perils  and  adventures 
for  he  was  killed  in  an  insignificant  night-brawl 
in  London,  the  cause  of  which  could  scarcely  be 
discovered. 

On    the     27  th    of    April,     all    arrangements    at 


CR UISING  OFF  ACAPULCO.  225 

Chequeta  being  completed,  the  '  Tryal's '  prize,  the 
1  Carmelo,'  and  the  '  Carmin,'  were  towed  out  and 
scuttled  ;  and  a  quantity  of  combustible  materials 
having  been  placed  in  their  upper  works,  they  were 
fired.  The  '  Centurion  '  and  *-  Gloucester  '  weighed 
anchor,  and  warped  out  of  harbour,  as  there  was  little 
wind.  A  canoe  was  left  fixed  to  a  grapnel  in  the 
middle  of  the  harbour,  with  a  bottle  in  it,  inclosing 
a  letter  to  Mr.  Hughes,  who  had  been  left  to  cruise 
off  Acapulco,  telling  him  to  follow  to  the  station  in 
the  offing,  where  the  Commodore  would  remain  for  a 
short  time  before  leaving  the  Mexican  coasts  to 
cross  the  ocean  towards  the  Philippines.  A  letter 
was  also  despatched  by  a  Spanish  officer,  one  of  the 
prisoners,  in  whose  honour  reliance  was  placed,  to 
the  Governor  of  Acapulco,  in  case  the  cutter  with 
its  crew  had  fallen  into  his  hands,  asking  for  their 
release,  and  promising  an  exchange  of  prisoners. 

While  this  was  being  done,  a  sentry  on  the  out- 
look from  the  mast-head  saw  a  boat  in  the  distance, 
which  at  first  was  taken  to  be  the  Spaniard  returning 
with  the  Governor's  answer,  but  to  the  Commodore's 
great  joy  it  proved  to  be  his  own  cutter.  They 
were  in  a  miserable  condition,  not  from  the  hardships 
of  imprisonment,  as  had  been  feared,  but  from  the 
privations  and  toils  of  their  long  cruise  of  six  weeks, 
with  scant  provisions  and  water,  and  exposed  to  the 
inclemency  of  the  weather  in  an  open  boat,  as  the 
cutter  was.     The  men  had   to  be  lifted  on  board, 

15 


226  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 


where  they  received  such  attention  that  they  soon 
recovered  their  health  and  strength.  The  Governor 
sent  a  very  courteous  reply  to  the  Commodore, 
accompanying  his  despatch  with  a  present  cnf  the 
choicest  refreshments,  but  the  two  boats  containing 
these  gifts  were  so  much  tossed  about,  that  to  save 
themselves  the  men  had  to  throw  the  provisions 
overboard,  and  had  difficulty  in  getting  back  to 
Acapulco.  Sending  on  shore  the  rest  of  the  prisoners 
was  the  last  transaction  on  the  American  coasts, 
after  which  the  ships  stood  out  to  sea,  with  the 
purpose  of  making  for  the  river  of  Canton  in  China, 
where  they  expected  to  meet  with  many  English 
ships,  and  have  the  pleasure  of  obtaining  the  society 
of  their  countrymen,  as  well  as  the  conveniences  and 
indulgences  of  civilised  life,  of  which  during  so  long 
a  period  at  sea  they  had  been  deprived,  for  they 
had  been  afloat  now  for  nearly  twenty  months  on 
the  American  coasts. 

It  is  needless  to  say  that  the  feeling  of  disap- 
pointment in  the  Commodore  and  the  whole  of  the 
people  was  strong  at  this  position  of  their  enter- 
prise. This  feeling  was  intensified  by  reflecting  on 
the  mishaps  and  hindrances  that  had  occurred,  most 
of  which  were  really  caused  by  mismanagement  at 
the  outset  of  the  expedition.  By  delays  in  starting, 
the  arrival  at  Cape  Horn  was  at  the  worst  season  of 
the  year.  In  summer  the  passage  might  have  been 
made  with  little  damage  to  the  ships,  and  slight  loss 


CRUISING   OFF  ACAPULCO.  227 

of  the  crew.  The  '  Duke '  and  '  Duchess '  of 
Bristol,  under  Captain  Woods  Rogers,  having  be- 
tween them  above  three  hundred  men,  lost  no  more 
than  two  from  the  coast  of  Brazil  to  Juan  Fernandez  ; 
and  on  board  the  '  Duke '  alone,  out  of  one  hundred 
and  eighty  hands,  there  were  only  twenty  attacked 
with  scurvy,  although  privateers  have  few  of  the 
conveniences  and  comforts  provided  in  men-of-war. 
Had  the  squadron  got  into  the  South  Seas  in  good 
condition,  the  town  and  port  of  Baldivia  would 
certainly  have  fallen  into  their  power,  and  the  whole 
kingdom  of  Chili  would  have  been  so  alarmed,  that 
the  authority  of  Spain  throughout  the  whole  of  the 
Continent  would  have  been  shaken.  At  that  time 
there  was  much  dissatisfaction  among  the  Creoles,  or 
native-born  Spaniards,  as  well  as  among  the  half- 
castes  and  Indians,  and  opportunity  might  have 
been  taken  to  throw  off  the  oppressive  yoke  of  Spain. 
These  feelings  of  disaffection,  and  the  desire  for 
avenging  past  wrongs  and  regaining  independence, 
were  discovered  by  Anson  in  perusing  the  letters 
taken  on  board  the  prizes,  none  of  the  prisoners 
having  taken  the  precaution  to  throw  their  papers 
overboard  before  being  captured,  so  that  thus  it  was 
the  English  obtained  information  not  otherwise  to  be 
procured.  It  was  also  found  from  the  intercepted 
papers  that  the  Governor  of  Chili  and  of  Panama, 
and  other  high  officials,  both  civil  and  military, 
made   urgent  demands   and    serious    complaints    to 


228  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

the  chief  ruler,  or  Viceroy  of  Peru.  His  answer 
had  been  that  the  royal  chest  at  Lima  did  not 
admit  of  compliance  with  their  requests,  and 
that  he  had  difficulty  enough  to  meet  the  claims 
and  the  wants  of  his  own  Government.  He  even 
said  that  he  feared  he  would  be  unable  to  continue 
the  pay  of  the  garrison  of  Callao,  then  the  key  of 
the  whole  kingdom  of  Peru.  The  native  descend- 
ants of  the  races  subdued  by  the  Spaniards 
cherished  the  ancient  traditions  of  their  country, 
and  hated  the  rulers,  who  were  of  the  family  of 
Pizarro  and  the  other  conquerors  of  the  land  in 
former  times.  In  Chili  there  was  a  large  territory 
that  had  never  been  subdued,  and  there  the  Arau- 
canian  Indians  still  maintained  their  independence. 
Had  Anson  established  himself  in  those  regions 
there  might  have  been  serious  troubles  for  the 
Spanish  Government  by  his  presence,  and  by  the 
assistance  given  to  the  disaffected  in  the  whole  of 
the  southern  part  of  the  continent.  With  the 
squadron  in  fuller  strength,  the  two  chief  places  on 
the  coast  of  the  South  Sea  belonging  to  Spain 
Callao  and  Panama,  would  probably  have  been 
easily  captured,  for  their  fortifications  were  falling 
into  decay,  and  their  garrisons  weak,  until  the 
prolonged  delay  in  the  appearance  of  Anson's 
expedition  had  allowed  time  for  strengthening  the 
cities,  and  reinforcing  their  defenders.  All  these, 
and  many  other  vexatious  reflections,  now  occurred 


CRUISING   OFF  ACAPULCO.  229 

to  the  Commodore,  and  awakened  regrets  and 
anxieties.  Nevertheless  he  was  too  patriotic  an 
Englishman  and  too  brave  a  man  to  be  wholly 
discouraged  ;  and  the  failures  in  the  past  only 
caused  him  to  renew  his  determination,  and  to  revive 
his  hopes  of  yet  achieving  some  success  worthy  of 
his  country,  and  of  the  great  enterprise  which  he 
had  undertaken.  In  this  heroic  spirit,  notwithstand- 
ing all  his  losses  and  disappointments,  he  led  the 
shattered  remains  of  his  expedition  across  the 
Pacific  Ocean,  resolved  yet  to  do  some  good  service 
before  his  return  to  England. 


CHAPTER     XXV. 

VOYAGE  ACROSS  THE  PACIFIC— DESTRUCTION 
OF  THE  '  GLOUCESTER.' 

OINCE  he  had  failed  to  meet  with  the  Manilla  ship 
^  on  the  American  side,  the  Commodore  would 
try  to  find  her  on  the  other  side  of  the  Pacific,  and 
wait  for  her  arrival  near  Manilla.  Before  this  pur- 
pose could  be  accomplished  many  hardships  and 
dangers  had  to  be  encountered,  as  will  appear  in 
the  next  portion  of  the  narrative. 

On  the  6th  of  May,  1742,  the  coast  of  America 
was  finally  left,  the  Commodore  standing  to  the 
S.W.  in  expectation  of  meeting  the  N.E.  trade  wind. 
Another  reason  for  standing  to  the  southward  was 
the  getting  into  latitude  of  130  or  140  N.,  which 
was  the  usual  parallel  for  crossing  the  Pacific  the 
navigation  being  there  esteemed  the  safest.  Al- 
though they  advanced  far  enough  out  from  land, 
and  had  got  to  the  proper  latitude,  they  were 
disappointed  as  to  falling  in  with  the  trade  wind, 
the  wind  still  continuing  to  the  westward,  or  at  best 
variable.      They  stood    more  to  the  southward,  yet 


VOYAGE  ACROSS  THE  PACIFIC.  231 

still  without  success  in  their  object  ;  and  it  was 
actually  seven  weeks  from  leaving  the  coast  before 
the  ships  got  into  the  regular  trade  wind. 

It  is  indeed  strange  to  read  of  such  loss  of  time 
and  labour  in  our  day,  when  the  atmospheric  cur- 
rents are  so  much  better  known,  and  when  steam 
has  made  navigators  comparatively  independent  of 
winds  and  waves.     Already  Anson  had  passed  more 
time   than  should  have   sufficed  to  carry   a  sailing 
ship  to  the  easternmost  parts  of  Asia  ;  but  he  was  so 
baffled  by  variable  and  contrary  winds,  that  he  had 
not  advanced  above  a  fourth  of  the  way  across  the 
ocean.     The  delay  by  itself  would  have  been  abund- 
antly mortifying,  but  the  condition  of  his  two  ships 
caused  even  greater  trouble  and  anxiety.     Both  of 
them  were  by  this  time  in  exceedingly  crazy  state  ; 
a  spring  in  the  foremast  of  the  '  Centurion  '  being 
discovered,   which   was  judged   to  be   at   least  four 
inches  deep,  for  about  twenty-six  inches  of  its  cir- 
cumference.    No  sooner  had  the  carpenters  secured 
this  mast  by  fishing  it,  than  the  '  Gloucester '  made 
a  signal  of  distress,  and  this  proved  to  be  on  account 
of  a  spring  in  her  mainmast,  twelve  feet  below  the 
trussel  trees,  which  appeared  so  dangerous  that  she 
could  not  carry  any  sail  upon  it.     The  carpenters, 
on  examination,  found  the  whole  mast  rotten  and 
decayed,  and  it  was  necessary  to  cut  it  down  as  low 
as  it  was  defective,  so  that  a  mere  stump  remained, 
only  as  a  step  to   the  topmast.     Worse  than  these 


232  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

failures  in  the  ships,  was  the  breaking  out  afresh  of 
sickness  among  the  crews.  Climate  seemed  to  have 
no  effect  in  regard  to  the  havoc  caused  by  scurvy, 
for  the  outbreak  proved  as  severe  in  the  present 
warm  region  as  it  had  been  during  the  cold  and 
stormy  passage  round  Cape  Horn  during  winter. 
There  was  abundance  of  good  water  on  board,  and 
plenty  of  fresh  provisions,  yet  the  disease  raged 
with  extreme  violence,  and  was  not  checked  by  the 
utmost  attention  that  was  given  to  the  cleansing 
and  sweetening  of  the  ships,  by  scrubbing  and 
fumigation,  any  more  than  by  thorough  ventilation, 
by  keeping  all  the  ports  open,  so  as  to  have  always 
fresh  air  between  decks.  The  surgeon  of  the  '  Cen- 
turion,' who  had  formerly  blamed  the  cold  severity 
of  the  climate,  was  now  at  his  wits'  end.  He  tried 
every  remedy  that  he  had  at  hand  (the  famous  pills 
and  •  drops  '  of  Mr.  Ward  among  them),  but  all  to 
no  avail.  The  very  slow  progress  of  the  '  Gloucester,' 
by  which  the  '  Centurion  '  was  also  retarded,  kept 
both  out  at  sea  for  a  longer  time  than  could  have 
been  anticipated,  and  on  this  account  many  men 
perished,  who  might  have  recovered  if  the  '  Centurion ' 
had  pushed  on  alone  to  the  Ladrones  Islands,  the 
first  point  to  be  touched  at.  Probably  a  whole 
month  was  lost  by  attending  upon  the  '  Gloucester,' 
with  her  few  sails,  and  the  Commodore  being  obliged 
to  lie-to  for  her,  in  his  unwillingness  to  leave  the 
consort  ship  in  distress. 


VOYAGE  ACROSS  THE  PACIFIC.  233 

During  almost  the  whole  month  of  July  the  pro- 
gress was  steady,  though  very  slow,  the  trade-wind 
continuing  favourable  until  the  26th  of  the  month, 
when  they  reckoned  they  were  about  three  hundred 
leagues  from  the  Ladrones.  Then  a  west  wind  was 
encountered,  which  did  not  shift  again  to  the  east- 
ward for  four  days.  This  was  dispiriting,  and  hopes 
of  speedy  relief  were  being  damped  when  a  terrible 
mishap  befel  the  '  Gloucester.'  In  one  part  of  these 
four  days  the  wind  lulled  to  a  calm,  causing  the 
ships  to  roll  deep,  when,  the  '  Gloucester's '  forecap 
splitting,  her  foretop-mast  came  by  the  board,  and 
broke  her  foreyard  directly  in  the  slings.  As  she 
was  incapable  of  making  any  sail  for  the  time,  the 
1  Centurion  '  had  to  take  her  in  tow  as  soon  as  the 
wind  freshened  a  little,  and  twenty  of  the  healthiest 
and  ablest  of  the  '  Centurion's  '  crew  were  removed  to 
the  '  Gloucester  '  to  assist  in  repairing  the  damages, 
where  they  remained  for  ten  days. 

This  was  not  the  end  of  disasters.  A  violent 
storm  from  the  western  board  obliged  the  '  Cen- 
turion '  to  lie-to,  and  the  ship  sprung  so  bad  a  leak, 
which  let  in  so  much  water,  that  officers  and  men 
had  to  be  employed  constantly  at  the  pump.  Next 
day  they  had  the  vexation  to  see  the  '  Gloucester's ' 
foretop-mast  once  more  by  the  board.  While 
viewing  this  calamity,  her  topmast,  which  had  hitherto 
served  as  a  jury  mainmast,  was  seen  to  share  the 
same  fate.     The  crew  was  so  few  and  feeble  that 


234  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

they  were  almost  helpless,  and  there  was  no  less 
than  seven  feet  of  water  in  the  hold,  although  every 
man  able  to  stand  had  been  at  the  pumps  for  the 
last  twenty-four  hours.  While  the  gale  lasted  no 
communication  could  be  held,  and  this  increase  of 
water  in  the  hold  was  only  known  when  Captain 
Mitchell  was  able  to  bear  up  under  the  stern  of  the 
Commodore's  ship,  and  implore  assistance  to  save 
them  from  going  to  the  bottom. 

The  Commodore's  own  crew  was  so  reduced  by 
sickness  and  toil  that  it  was  impossible  now  to  send 
help,  but  a  boat  was  sent  on  board  to  see  the  exact 
state  of  the  '  Gloucester,'  and  to  report  to  the  Com- 
modore. The  boat  returned  with  a  report  by  its 
officer,  and  a  representation  signed  by  Captain 
Mitchell  and  all  his  officers,  from  which  it  appeared 
that  the  state  of  their  ship  was  one  involving  great 
and  immediate  peril  to  those  on  board,  and  that  the 
damages  were  such  as  could  not  be  repaired  at  sea. 
Giving  details  of  the  damage  and  decay,  the  statement 
concluded  by  saying  that  the  crew  was  greatly 
diminished  in  number,  no  more  than  seventy-seven 
men,  including  officers,  remaining  alive,  with  eighteen 
boys,  and  two  prisoners  ;  and  that  of  this  whole 
number  only  sixteen  men  and  eleven  boys  were 
capable  of  keeping  the  deck,  some  of  these  being 
infirm  through   sickness. 

The  Commodore,  on  receiving  these  reports, 
immediately  sent  an  order  to  Captain  Mitchell  to  put 


VOYAGE  ACROSS  THE  PACIFIC.  235 

his  people  on  board  the  '  Centurion  '  with  as  little 
delay  as  possible,  at  the  same  time  taking  out  of 
the  'Gloucester'  such  stores  as  he  could  get  at  whilst 
the  ship  remained  above  water.  The  boats  of  the 
1  Centurion '  were  sent,  with  as  many  men  as  could 
be  spared,  to  Captain  Mitchell's  assistance.  This 
removal  occupied  two  days.  The  Commodore  was 
desirous  of  saving  two  of  the  cables  and  an  anchor, 
but  the  rolling  of  the  ship  and  the  weakness  of  the 
men  made  this  impracticable.  The  prize  money 
was  secured,  but  the  captured  goods,  of  several 
thousand  pounds  value,  were  lost,  and  a  very  small 
quantity  of  provisions,  most  being  spoiled  by  sea 
water.  About  seventy  sick  men  were  conveyed  on 
board  with  as  much  care  as  possible,  but  three  or 
four  of  them  expired  while  being  hoisted  into  the 
ship. 

It  was  the  15th  of  August  when  the  'Gloucester' 
was  cleared  of  everything  that  was  proposed  to  be 
be  removed.  Instead  of  leaving  her  slowly  to  sink 
it  was  resolved  to  hasten  her  destruction  by  burning, 
as  it  was  not  known  how  near  the  island  of  Guam 
they  might  be,  the  people  of  which  might  get  some 
advantage  out  of  what  would  otherwise  be  left  in  the 
wreck.  So  the  fire  was  applied,  not  without  some 
apprehension  of  danger  from  explosion  ;  but  she  con- 
tinued to  burn  slowly  during  the  night,  the  guns 
firing  successively  as  the  flames  reached  them,  and 
the  final  explosion  when  she  blew  up  caused  no  great 


23 6  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

report,  and  was  most  marked  from  the  vast  pillar 
of  black  smoke  shot  up  to  a  considerable  height  in 
the  air. 

Thus  perished  the  'Gloucester,'  and  the  '  Centurion' 
was  now  alone,  the  only  remaining  ship  of  the 
squadron  on  those  waters.  The  storm  and  the  cur- 
rents had  driven  her  northward  of  her  intended 
course  to  the  Ladrones,  and  the  Commodore's  anxiety 
now  was  that  he  might  be  carried  to  some  port  of 
Asia,  so  distant  that  mostly  all  his  men  might  have 
time  to  perish  from  the  sickness  on  board.  Every 
day  eight  or  ten,  and  on  some  days  twelve,  of  the 
men  were  buried,  and  those  who  had  hitherto  resisted 
the  disease  began  to  fall  down  apace.  Search  was 
made  for  the  leak,  and  so  far  with  success,  that  the 
inflow  of  water  was  perceptibly  diminished.  On  the 
22nd  sight  was  obtained  of  two  islands,  and  then  of  a 
third  smaller  islet ;  but  none  of  these,  on  being  neared, 
promised  to  afford  any  shelter  or  convenience.  At 
length  on  the  26th  three  other  islands  were  discovered, 
to  one  of  which,  afterwards  ascertained  to  be  Tinian, 
the  course  was  directed,  Spanish  colours  being 
hoisted  at  the  foretopmast-head  to  lull  suspicion 
of  hostility,  and  perhaps  induce  some  of  the  people 
to  come  on  board  from  the  shore.  The  cutter  was 
then  sent  to  search  for  a  proper  berth  for  the  ship, 
and  before  long  it  was  seen  to  return  with  a  proa  in 
tow,  which  had  been  seen  to  be  coming  towards  the 
ship,  probably  under  the  idea  that  it  was  the  Manilla 


VOYAGE  ACROSS  THE  PACIFIC.  2yj 

galleon.  The  cutter,  meeting  this  proa,  took  it,  and 
brought  those  that  were  in  it  on  board  as  prisoners, 
a  Spaniard  and  four  Indians.  The  Spaniard,  on  being 
asked  about  Tinian,  gave  an  account  of  the  place 
which  surpassed  the  most  sanguine  hopes.  In  fact, 
it  was  the  chief  place  for  supplying  the  garrison  at 
Guam,  the  principal  fortified  port  in  the  islands. 
This  Spaniard  was  himself  a  sergeant  of  the  garrison, 
and  had  been  sent  with  a  detachment  of  Indians  to 
jerk  beef,  and  get  other  provisions  for  Guam.  He 
had  a  barque  at  anchor  for  removing  the  stores,  and 
on  learning  that  this  was  the  only  vessel  at  the  place, 
the  Commodore  sent  the  pinnace  to  secure  it,  in 
order  to  prevent  the  Indians  from  carrying  to  the 
Governor  of  Guam  any  intelligence  of  the  'Centurion  ' 
being  at  Tinian. 

In  the  evening  the  ship  was  brought  to  anchor, 
and  this,  as  well  as  furling  the  sails,  was  a  process, 
which  took  some  hours,  so  weak  were  the  men  and 
so  few  capable  of  work,  besides  the  crews  of  the 
pinnace  and  the  cutter  which  were  sent  on  shore. 
All  the  hands  fit  to  stand  at  a  gun  amounted  to 
about  seventy,  the  whole  force  to  be  now  mustered 
from  the  united  crews  of  the  '  Centurion,'  the 
'  Gloucester,'  and  the  '  Tryal,'  which  left  England 
nearly  a  thousand  in  number ! 

All  was  quiet  during  the  night,  and  in  the  morning 
a  party  was  sent  on  shore  to  secure  the  landing-place, 
as  it  was  uncertain  what  opposition  the  Indians  might 


238  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 


offer  to  occupying  the  land  needed  for  disembarking 
the  invalids.  They  all  had  fled  to  the  woods,  judg- 
ing, from  the  seizing  of  the  barque  the  night  before, 
that  the  new-comers  were  enemies.  They  left  many 
huts  on  the  shore  which  they  had  inhabited,  and  this 
saved  much  time  and  trouble  that  would  have  been 
necessary  in  erecting  tents.  Many  of  the  sick  had 
to  be  carried  from  the  boats  to  the  hospital  hut  on 
men's  shoulders,  and  in  this  good  service  all  the 
officers  that  were  able,  and  the  Commodore  himself, 
kindly  assisted. 

The  salutary  influence  of  the  land  made  itself  at 
once  apparent,  the  violence  of  the  disease  speedily 
abating,  and  improvement  in  the  state  of  the  men 
gradually  taking  place.  On  the  day  of  first  landing, 
and  the  day  preceding,  twenty-one  men  had  been 
buried,  but  after  that  the  deaths  were  few,  and  they 
lost  only  ten  more  men  during  the  two  months  that 
they  remained  on  this  island.  The  vegetable  diet 
and  especially  the  acid  fruits,  were  credited  by  the 
officers  and  men  with  the  chief  benefit,  though  some 
still  attributed  the  whole  cure  to  change  from  sea  to 
land  air. 

Considering  the  size  of  the  island,  only  about 
twelve  miles  long,  and  half  as  many  in  breadth,  the 
abundance  of  live  stock  and  provisions  of  all  sorts 
was  wonderful.  Of  cattle  there  were  at  least  ten 
thousand,  with  plenty  of  poultry  and  of  wild  hogs, 
which  were   hunted  with  dogs,  for  the   Indians  to 


VOYAGE  ACROSS  THE  PACIFIC.  239 

pickle  or  smoke  for  the  supply  of  the  garrison  at 
Guam.  Many  kinds  of  vegetables  and  fruit  were  also 
plentiful.  No  wonder  that  the  sick  soon  recovered  ! 
The  water  also  was  excellent,  and  several  lakes 
abounded  with  duck,  teal,  plover,  and  other  game. 
The  population  is  said  to  have  been  once  very  large, 
but  it  was  the  policy  of  Spain  to  keep  this  island  for  a 
provisioning  depot,  the  inhabitants  being  compelled  to 
migrate  to  Guam,  where  the  mortality  was  great,  and 
only  a  few  Indians  were  left  to  look  after  the  cattle 
and  provisions.  The  island  has  its  drawbacks,  there 
being  no  rivers  or  running  waters,  and  the  roadstead 
is  not  always  safe  for  ships.  Some  troublesome 
and  a  few  venomous  insects  and  reptiles  are  common, 
but  on  the  whole  the  place  is  a  paradise  as  to  climate 
and  the  means  of  living. 


CHAPTER    XXVI. 

THE  '  CENTURION'  BLOWN  OUT  TO  SEA. 

r  I  AHE  long  and  quiet  sojourn  at  Tinian  was 
■*■  suddenly  interrupted  by  a  startling  and  unex- 
pected event.  On  the  18th  of  September  it  was 
new  moon,  and  gales  being  anticipated,  the  Com- 
modore ordered  every  precaution  to  be  taken, 
strengthening  the  hawsers  and  chains,  in  case  of 
great  strain  on  the  anchor  cables,  and  lowering  the 
main  and  foreyard  close  down,  to  diminish  the 
power  of  the  wind  on  the  ship.  For  two  or  three 
days  the  weather  was  squally  and  uncertain,  but  on 
the  22nd  the  wind  blew  from  the  eastward  with 
such  fury  that  they  soon  despaired  of  riding  out  the 
storm.  At  this  time  the  Commodore  and  the  larger 
portion  of  the  crew  were  on  shore,  Anson  himself 
being  laid  down  with  sickness,  and  the  convalescents 
still  in  the  huts  and  tents.  The  only  hope  of  safety 
for  the  ship,  under  ordinary  circumstances,  was  to 
put  to  sea  instantly  ;  but  all  communication  with  the 
shore  was  cut  off,  for  no  boat  could  live  in  such  a 
tempest.     There  was  nothing  for  it  but  to  ride  it 


THE  '  CENTURION'  BLOWN  OUT  TO  SEA.     241 

out  till  the  cables  parted.  At  five  in  the  afternoon 
the  small  bower  parted,  and  the  ship  swung  off 
to  the  best  bower.  As  night  came  on  the  violence 
of  the  wind  increased.  The  tide  running  with  great 
force  and  rapidity,  there  was  terrible  commotion — the 
tide  forcing  the  vessel  before  it,  in  spite  of  the  wind 
which  blew  upon  the  beam.  The  sea  broke 
tremendously  all  round,  and  a  great  tumbling  swell 
threatened  to  poop  the  ship  ;  by  which  swell  the 
long  boat  moored  astern  was  on  a  sudden  canted  so 
high,  that  it  broke  the  transom  of  the  Commodore's 
gallery,  whose  cabin  was  on  the  quarter-deck,  and 
would  doubtless  have  risen  as  high  as  the  taffrail 
had  it  not  been  for  the  stroke  which  stove  the  boat 
all  to  pieces. 

At  eleven  o'clock  the  tide  slackened,  but  the  wind 
not  abating,  the  best  bower  cable,  by  which  alone 
they  rode,  parted.  The  sheet  anchor,  the  only  one 
now  left,  was  instantly  cut  from  the  bow,  but  before 
it  could  reach  the  bottom  the  vessel  drifted  from 
twenty-two  into  thirty-five  fathoms  ;  and  after  veering 
away  one  whole  cable  and  two-thirds  of  another, 
ground  could  not  be  touched  with  sixty  fathom  of 
line,  a  plain  indication  that  the  anchor  lay  near  the 
edge  of  the  sandbank,  and  could  not  hold  there 
long. 

In  this  extreme  danger,  Mr.  Saumarez,  the  first 
lieutenant,  now  in  command,  ordered  guns  to  be 
fired,   and   lights  to  be   shown,   as    signals    to    the 

16 


242  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

Commodore  of  the  distress.  A  short  time  after, 
about  an  hour  past  midnight,  a  strong  gust,  attended 
with  rain  and  lightning,  drove  the  ship  off  the 
bank,  and  forced  it  out  to  sea,  leaving  the  Com- 
modore, and  several  of  the  officers,  and  a  great  part 
of  the  crew,  in  all  about  113  persons,  on  the  island. 
What  were  the  feelings  of  those  on  shore  as  well  as 
those  on  board  can  be  scarcely  imagined.  Those 
on  shore  might  never  be  able  to  depart  from  the 
island,  while  those  in  the  ship,  ill  prepared  to 
struggle  with  the  fury  of  the  winds  and  the  seas, 
expected  every  moment  to  be  their  last. 

The  storm  which  drove  the  '  Centurion  '  to  sea 
blew  with  such  turbulence  that  neither  the  Com- 
modore nor  any  of  the  people  on  shore  heard  the 
guns  fired  as  signals  ;  and  if  any  saw  the  flash  of 
the  lights  they  were  not  distinguished  from  the 
vivid  glare  of  the  constant  lightning.  So  that,  when 
day  broke,  and  it  was  perceived  that  the  ship  was 
missing,  there  was  much  excitement  and  con- 
sternation among  them,  many  jumping  to  the 
conclusion  that  the  ship  was  lost,  and  proposing 
that  the  boat  should  be  sent  round  the  island  to 
look  after  the  wreck.  Those  who  did  not  believe 
she  was  wrecked  had  little  hope  of  her  ever  being 
able  to  make  the  island  again  ;  as  the  wind  continued 
to  blow  strongly  at  east,  and  they  knew  well  how  poorly 
she  was  manned  and  provided  for  struggling  with 
so  tempestuous  a  gale.      How  could  they  leave  the 


THE  '  CENTURION'  BLOWN  OUT  TO  SEA.    243 

island?  They  were  at  least  six  hundred  leagues  from 
Macao,  which  was  their  nearest  port ;  and  they  were 
masters  of  only  the  small  Spanish  barque,  of  about 
fifteen  tons,  seized  on  their  first  arrival,  and  which 
would  not  hold  a  fourth  part  of  their  number.  As 
to  being  taken  off  by  some  other  ship,  it  was  the 
vaguest  of  all  chances,  for  it  was  probable  that  no 
European  vessel  had  ever  before  anchored  there. 
A  life-long  exile  seemed  to  be  possible  ;  but  it  was 
more  likely  that  a  worse  fate  awaited  them,  for  the 
Governor  of  Guam  would  certainly  send  to  see  what 
had  become  of  his  Indians,  and  would  send  troops 
to  overpower  them.  In  that  case  they  would  not  be 
treated  as  prisoners  of  war,  the  commissions  of  the 
officers  being  on  board  the  '  Centurion,'  and  they 
would  be  treated  as  pirates,  and  subjected  either  to 
a  cruel  death  or  to  vilest  slavery  for  life. 

At  this  critical  time,  the  Commodore,  who  always 
appeared  cool  and  self-possessed  in  times  of  difficulty 
and  trouble,  showed  himself  worthy  of  his  high 
character  and  reputation.  Whatever  may  have  been 
his  own  opinions,  or  his  inward  misgivings,  he  felt 
it  his  chief  duty  to  keep  his  people  from  being 
depressed  by  despondency,  and  to  inspire  them  with 
hope  and  courage.  He  gathered  his  officers  round 
him,  and  to  them,  and  to  their  men,  he  addressed 
words  of  cheerful  confidence,  saying  how  little 
foundation  there  was  for  their  fear  of  the  ■  Cen- 
turion '  being  lost ;  that  it  was  not  like  men  familiar 


244  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

with  the  affairs  of  the  sea  to  give  way  to  such  a 
groundless  impression  without  some  good  reason  ; 
that  a  vessel  which  had  passed  through  so  many- 
perils  would  not  easily  perish.  He  was  not  without 
hopes  that  she  would  reappear  in  a  few  days  ;  but 
if  she  did  not,  the  worst  that  could  happen  was  that, 
being  driven  so  far  to  the  leeward  of  the  island  as 
to  be  unable  to  regain  it,  she  would  be  consequently 
obliged  to  bear  away  for  Macao  on  the  coast  of 
China.  But  as  it  was  necessary  to  be  prepared 
against  all  events,  he  had  considered  a  method  of 
carrying  them  off  the  island,  and  of  rejoining  their 
old  ship  the  '  Centurion '  at  Macao.  This  method 
he  had  planned  after  consultation  with  the  ship's 
carpenters,  and  it  had  been  approved  by  those  to 
whom  it  had  been  mentioned.  His  plan  was  to 
bring  the  Spanish  barque  on  shore,  to  saw  her 
asunder,  and  lengthen  her  twelve  feet,  which  would 
enlarge  her  to  near  forty-ton  burthen,  and  would 
enable  her  to  carry  them  all  to  China.  Nothing 
was  wanting  to  carry  out  this  plan  but  the  united 
resolution  and  industry  of  the  whole  body  ;  adding 
that  for  his  own  part  he  would  share  the  labour  and 
fatigue  with  them,  and  would  expect  no  more  from 
any  man  than  what  he,  their  commander,  was  ready 
to  submit  to.  He  would  have  them  begin  this  work 
at  once,  for  if  the  ■  Centurion  '  came  back  there 
would  be  the  throwing  away  of  only  a  few  days' 
application ;    while    if   she    did    not,    their  -present 


THE  '  CENTURION'  BLOWN  OUT  70  SEA.    245 

position  and  the  season  of  the  year  required  their 
utmost  dispatch. 

The  felling  of  trees  and  sawing  them  into  planks 
was  the  first  and  most  laborious  task,  and  at  this 
the  Commodore  himself  wrought,  for  the  encourage- 
ment of  his  people.  There  being  neither  blocks  nor 
cordage,  rollers  of  tree-trunks  had  to  be  prepared 
for  moving  the  barque,  and  a  dry  dock  for  receiving 
her,  with  waterways  to  the  sea  for  bringing  her  up. 
Then  came  the  adaptation  of  spare  cordage  for  the 
rigging  and  other  equipment.  A  serious  want  was 
that  of  a  compass,  for  the  Commodore's  pocket- 
compass,  brought  on  shore  for  his  own  use,  had 
been  borrowed  by  Lieutenant  Brett,  who  had  it  with 
him  in  the  '  Centurion.'  Nor  was  there  a  quadrant 
for  taking  observations.  However,  in  rummaging 
a  chest  belonging  to  the  Spanish  barque,  a  small 
compass  was  found,  which  although  little  better  than 
a  toy,  was  a  prize  under  the  circumstances.  There 
were  many  difficulties  as  to  the  iron-work,  and  the 
absence  of  smith's  bellows,  and  the  like  ;  but  all 
was  overcome  by  ingenuity,  and  the  work  went 
bravely  forward. 

While  they  were  busily  engaged  in  the  prepara- 
tion for  their  adventure  with  the  enlarged  barque, 
which  they  expected  to  be  soon  ready,  one  after- 
noon, it  was  the  nth  of  November,  one  of  the 
seamen,  being  on  a  hill  in  the  interior  of  the  island, 
perceived  the  '  Centurion  '  in  the  distance,  and  running 


246  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

as  fast  as  he  could  towards  the  landing-place, 
shouted  out  to  his  comrades,  '  The  ship,  the  ship  ! ' 
Being  brought  to  the  Commodore,  the  glad  news 
was  proclaimed,  and  there  was  unbounded  joy. 
The  Commodore  threw  down  his  axe,  with  which 
he  was  then  at  work,  and  for  the  first  time  broke 
through  the  calm,  equable  demeanour  he  had  hitherto 
preserved,  and  joined  in  the  general  excitement. 
Most  of  the  men  had  run  to  the  shore  to  feast  their 
eyes  as  soon  as  possible  with  the  longed-for  sight. 
It  was  not  till  the  evening  that  the  ship  was  visible 
to  all,  and  then  a  boat  was  sent  off  with  eighteen 
men  to  reinforce  the  crew,  and  carrying  fresh  meat 
and  fruits.  Next  day,  in  the  afternoon,  she  was 
again  anchored  in  the  road.  When  the  Commodore 
went  on  board,  as  he  did  at  once,  he  was  welcomed 
with  rounds  of  cheers.  It  was  now  nineteen  days 
since  the  ship  had  been  driven  from  the  island,  and 
the  crew  could  not  but  feel  overjoyed  at  getting 
back  to  a  harbour,  and  refreshment,  and  rest,  and 
rejoining  their  shipmates  and  their  honoured  com- 
mander. What  had  been  their  proceedings  at  sea 
in   the  interval  has  now  to  be  told. 


CHAPTER    XXVII. 

WHAT  PASSED   ON  BOARD  THE   'CENTURION' 
WHEN  DRIVEN  OUT  TO  SEA. 

TT  was  soon  after  midnight,  on  the  22nd  of 
■*■  September,  in  a  night  of  extreme  darkness,  a 
prodigious  storm  raging,  with  a  very  rapid  tide 
running,  that  the  '  Centurion  '  was  driven  from  her 
anchors,  and  forced  to  sea.  The  condition  was  truly 
perilous  ;  the  ship  being  leaky  ;  with  three  cables 
in  the  hawses,  to  one  of  which  hung  the  only 
remaining  anchor,  not  a  gun  on  board  lashed,  nor 
a  port  barred  in,  the  shrouds  loose,  the  topmasts 
unrigged,  and  the  fore  and  main-yards  close  down, 
before  the  hurricane  came  on,  so  that  there  were 
no  sails  that  could  be  set  except  the  mizzen.  Then 
there  could  be  mustered  for  working  the  ship,  in 
such  a  condition,  very  little  more  than  a  hundred 
hands,  including  several  Indians  and  negroes  ;  and 
of  the  crew  the  largest  number  were  either  boys,  or 
men  enfeebled  by  sickness,  from  which  they  were  only 
lately  recovering.  For  a  time,  the  water  from  the 
leak,    and  what  was    shipped    through    the  hawse- 


248  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

holes,  ports,  and  scuppers,  kept  all  hands  at  the 
pumps.  Fear  of  being  driven  on  the  neighbouring 
island  of  Aguignan  compelled  them  to  use  every 
effort  to  heave  up  the  main  and  fore-yards,  so  as  to 
get  canvas  enough  carried  to  weather  the  island  ; 
but  the  men  could  not  accomplish  this,  and  were  in 
momentary  fear  of  striking  and  sinking — a  fear 
which  was  only  removed  when  daylight  showed  the 
land  at  a  good  distance,  a  strong  current  having 
preserved  them  from  that  danger. 

For  three  days  after  leaving  Tinian  the  stormy 
weather  continued,  and  the  fourth  day  was  passed 
in  the  important  work  of  heaving  up  the  sheet- 
anchor,  which  had  been  till  now  dragged  at  the  bows 
with  two  cables  on  end.  Being  the  only  anchor  left, 
and  an  impediment  to  navigation  in  its  present  situa- 
tion, every  effort  was  used  to  secure  what  would  be 
so  essential  on  falling  in  with  land  again  ;  and 
fortunately  they  succeeded  in  hanging  the  anchor 
at  the  bow,  although  not  till  they  had  to  rest  and 
regain  strength  for  completing  this,  after  first  bring- 
ing the  anchor  in  sight.  This  was  on  the  morning 
of  the  27th  September,  five  days  after  being  at  sea. 
On  the  same  day  they  managed  to  get  up  their 
main-yard,  and  were  then  able  to  make  use  of  their 
canvas  and  set  their  courses.  They  stood  eastward, 
in  hope  of  regaining  the  island  of  Tinian,  the  reckon- 
ing being  that  they  were  less  than  fifty  leagues  to 
the  south-west.     But  they  reckoned  without  the  cur- 


WHA  TPA  SSED  ONBOARD  THE '  CENTURION!  249 

rents,  which  had  carried  them  far  to  the  westward, 
and  they  were  disappointed  in  not  sighting  land  by 
the  1st  of  October,  which  they  had  made  sure  would 
be  the  latest  date  for  again  sighting  Tinian.  Then 
came  apprehensions  lest  they  might  fall  short  of 
water  and  provisions,  as  it  appeared  uncertain  how 
long  they  might  be  at  sea.  But,  happily,  the  next 
day  they  had  sight  of  the  island  of  Guam ;  and  then 
they  estimated  that  the  ocean  currents  had  carried 
them  at  least  forty  leagues  westward  of  their  reckon- 
ing. To  keep  plying  to  the  eastward  was  now  the 
right  course  ;  but  it  proved  tedious  work,  the  wind 
being  mostly  from  that  quarter,  and  requiring  fre- 
quent tacking,  for  which  the  crew  had  little  strength 
left.  The  severe  work  of  often  putting  the  ship 
about  caused  it  to  be  the  11th  of  October,  or  nine- 
teen days  since  leaving,  before  they  got  back  to 
Tinian. 


CHAPTER    XXVIII. 

FAREWELL    TO    TINT  AN,    WITH  SOME    ACCOUNT 
OF  THE  LADRONES  ISLANDS. 

\li  7" HEN    the    Commodore  went    on    board    the 
*  '  Centurion '    on    her    return    to    Tinian    he 

resolved  to  leave  the  island  as  soon  as  he  could 
complete  the  stock  of  water  for  the  voyage  to  Macao. 
The  watering  proved  a  more  tedious  business  than 
expected,  because  the  long  boat  had  been  staved 
against  the  poop  in  the  last  storm,  and  all  the  casks 
had  to  be  rafted  off,  sometimes  against  a  strong  tide. 
There  was  fresh  delay  of  several  days  from  the  ship 
being  again  driven  out  to  sea  by  a  sudden  gale.  It 
did  not  prove  so  serious  a  mishap  as  before,  as  the 
Commodore  and  all  the  officers  were  on  board,  but 
there  were  many  men  on  shore  filling  the  water  and 
procuring  provisions.  However,  after  four  or  five 
days  at  sea  the  '  Centurion  '  got  to  anchor  again, 
and  relieved  the  fears  of  those  on  shore. 

On  the  20th  of  October,  all  the  water,  to  the 
amount  of  fifty  tons,  was  on  board  ;  and  a  sailor  of 
each  mess  was    sent    to    gather   as    many  oranges, 


FAREWELL   TO   TIN/AN.  251 

lemons,  cocoa-nuts,  and  other  fruits  as  possible,  for 
the  use  of  themselves  and  their  messmates  during 
the  voyage.  As  soon  as  these  purveyors  were  on 
board,  the  barque  and  a  proa  were  set  on  fire,  so  as 
not  to  be  left  for  the  benefit  of  Spaniards,  the  boats 
were  hoisted  in,  and  sails  set  for  departure,  steering 
towards  the  south  end  of  the  island  of  Formosa  on 
the  Chinese  coast. 

So  they  took  final  leave  of  Tinian,  one  of  the 
Ladrones  or  Mariana  Islands.  These  are  about 
twenty  in  number,  but  only  three  or  four  of  these 
of  any  considerable  size,  the  largest  being  Guam,  or 
Guajan,  which  is  nearly  ninety  miles  in  circumference. 
The  other  large  islands  are  Rota,  or  Sarpan,  Seypan, 
and  Tinian,  where  Anson  had  brought  his  ship  and 
his  sickly  crew.  The  islands  were  discovered  by 
Magellan  in  March  1521,  and  he  gave  them  the 
name  of  Ladrones  (robbers),  from  the  thieving  pro- 
pensities of  the  inhabitants.  They  were  afterwards 
called  Mariana  Islands,  in  honour  of  Mary  Anna  of 
Austria,  the  wife  of  Philip  IV.  of  Spain.  They 
have  ever  since  been  Spanish  possessions,  and  are 
included  in  the  government  of  the  Philippines.  The 
chief  settlement,  San  Ignacio  de  Agana,  is  on  the 
island  of  Guam,  and  here  the  Spanish  Governor 
and  his  officials  have  their  residences.  The  native 
population  was  once  very  numerous,  but  many 
fled  to  escape  the  oppressive  foreign  rule,  as  they 
were    treated   as    slaves   by  their  conquerors.     The 


252  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

islands  are  mountainous,  well  watered,  and  wooded  ; 
and  some  of  the  smaller  islets  in  the  north  of  the 
chain  have  active  volcanoes.  In  Anson's  time  there 
were  probably  above  fifty  thousand  people  in  the 
three  islands,  Guam,  Rota,  and  Tinian.  In  1864, 
when  a  census  was  taken,  there  were  not  more  than 
five  thousand  in  the  whole  group.  Tinian  was 
almost  wholly  depopulated,  and  only  a  few  hundred 
Indians  remained  on  Rota  and  other  islands,  for 
tending  cattle  or  growing  vegetables  for  the  people 
and  garrison  of  Guam.  In  Anson's  time  there  were 
said  to  be  about  five  thousand  inhabitants  in  Guam, 
of  whom  more  than  a  thousand  were  in  the  city  of 
San  Ignacio  de  Agana. 

Guam  was  in  those  times  a  port  of  considerable 
importance,  chiefly  on  account  of  the  refreshment  it 
gave  to  the  ships  in  the  trade  from  the  Philippines. 
The  great  Manilla  ship  always  anchored  there,  and 
the  roadstead  was  protected  by  forts  with  batteries. 
The  Spanish  troops  at  Guam  were  usually  about 
a  hundred  and  fifty  men.  The  Indians  were 
debarred  the  use  of  fire-arms,  or  any  weapons,  the 
immense  superiority  of  their  number  requiring  this 
for  security.  They  are  a  superior  race,  bold,  strong 
and  enterprising ;  and  it  was  only  through  the 
Spaniards  having  fire-arms  that  the  natives  were  so 
easily  subdued.  Their  skill  in  navigation  was  also 
remarkable,  and  the  proas  of  the  Ladrones  Islands 
were  considered  wonderful  vessels  for  strength  and 


FAREWELL  TO  TINIAN.  253 

for  speed,  and  in  build  and  construction,  as  well 
as  rigging,  perfectly  adapted  to  the  seas  where 
they  sail,  which  are  wholly  within  the  limits  of  the 
trade-wind. 

The  construction  of  these  proas  is  in  direct  con- 
trast to  that  of  every  other  sort  of  vessel.  It  is  the 
customary  build  to  have  the  head  of  a  vessel 
different  from  the  stern,  but  the  two  sides  alike. 
The  proa,  on  the  contrary,  has  head  and  stern  alike, 
but  the  two  sides  very  different.  One  side,  which 
is  intended  to  be  always  the  lee-side,  is  flat,  while 
the  windward  side  is  built  rounding,  like  other 
vessels.  To  prevent  her  oversetting,  which  would 
be  easily  done  owing  to  the  small  breadth  and  the 
strait  run  of  her  leeward  side,  a  frame,  or  outrigger, 
is  paid  out  from  the  windward  side,  at  the  end  of 
which  is  fastened  a  log,  hollowed  somewhat  in  shape 
of  a  small  boat.  The  weight  of  the  frame  nearly 
balances  the  proa,  and  the  hollow,  buoyant,  boat-like 
log,  being  always  in  the  water,  prevents  her  over- 
setting to  windward.  Two  braces,  from  the  head  to 
the  stern,  serve  to  steady  the  frame,  and  a  thin 
plank  placed  to  windward  prevents  the  shipping  of 
water  ;  upon  which  plank  an  Indian  sits,  who  sees 
to  the  baling  when  needed  ;  or  in  smoother  water, 
goods  or  stores  are  carried  on  this  thin  board  or 
plank.  It  is  easy  to  imagine  the  convenience  as 
well  as  safety  of  these  vessels.  They  never  require 
to  put  about,  but  run  with  either  end  foremost,  there 


254  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

being  a  readily  managed  way  of  shifting  the  sail,  so 
that  what  was  the  stern  of  the  proa  becomes  the 
head,  and  she  is  quickly  trimmed  on  the  other  tack. 
The  speed,  too,  is  incredible  ;  at  the  lowest,  with  a 
brisk  trade  wind,  twenty  miles  an  hour.  Owing  to 
the  narrowness  of  the  vessel,  and  the  flatness  of  the 
lee-side,  she  can  lie  nearer  the  wind  than  any  craft 
known.  There  are  usually  six  or  seven  Indians  on 
board,  one  at  the  head  and  one  at  the  stern,  who 
steer  the  vessel  alternately  with  a  paddle,  according 
to  the  tack  she  is  on  ;  the  others  employed  in 
setting  and  trimming  the  sail,  or  in  baling  out  water 
accidentally  shipped.  How  far  the  double  canoes 
and  outrigged  craft  of  other  island  groups  in  the 
Pacific  have  been  derived  from  the  proas  of  the 
Ladrones  is  a  matter  for  consideration.  The  com- 
munication from  group  to  group  of  islands  is  not 
difficult,  and  it  is  not  surprising  that  the  Indians  of 
the  Ladrones  easily  escaped,  with  such  vessels,  from 
their  enemies  the  Spaniards. 


CHAPTER    XXIX. 

FROM  TIN  J  AN  TO  MACAO. 

TN  the  evening  of  the  2 1st  of  October  Tinian 
■*•  was  left,  the  proper  course  being  steered  for 
Macao,  the  Portuguese  settlement  on  the  coast  of 
China.  The  eastern  monsoon  was  now,  it  was 
reckoned,  fairly  settled  ;  a  constant  gale  was  blow- 
ing right  astern  ;  and  they  ran  generally  from  forty 
to  fifty  leagues  daily.  The  sea,  however,  occasioned 
the  ship  to  labour  much,  by  which  the  leak  was 
augmented,  and  much  damage  done  to  the  rigging, 
which  in  many  parts  had  grown  very  rotten.  The 
crew  being  now  in  full  health,  no  complaints  were 
made  of  fatigue,  and  all  attended  to  the  pumps, 
and  every  other  duty  of  the  ship,  with  ease  and 
cheerfulness. 

Before  leaving  Tinian,  an  attempt  was  strenuously 
made  to  recover  the  lost  anchors,  the  best  and  the 
bower  ;  but  all  to  no  purpose,  although  Indian 
divers  were  set  to  work.  Except  the  prize  anchors, 
which  were  stowed  in  the  hold,  and  were  too  light 
to  be  depended  on,  there  was  only  the  sheet-anchor 


256  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

left,  and  this  was  too  heavy  for  a  coasting  anchor.* 
This  caused  anxiety  to  the  Commodore  as  to  how 
he  should  manage  on  reaching  the  Chinese  coast, 
where  they  would  be  entire  strangers,  and  should 
doubtless  be  under  necessity  of  frequently  coming  to 
an  anchor.  The  difficulty  was  met  in  an  ingenious 
manner.  Two  of  the  largest  prize-anchors  were 
fixed  into  one  stock,  and  two  guns,  four-pounders, 
were  placed  between  their  shanks.  This  was  in- 
tended to  serve  as  a  best  bower.  A  third  prize 
anchor  was  in  like  manner  joined  to  the  stream 
anchor,  with  guns  between  them,  so  as  to  make  a 
small  bower.  Thus  there  were  again,  besides  the 
sheet  anchor  two  others  at  the  ■  Centurion's  '  bows, 
one  of  them  weighing  3,900,  and  the  other  2,900 
pounds. 

On  the  3rd  of  November,  in  the  afternoon,  an 
island  was  sighted,  which  at  first  was  supposed  to 
be  Botel  Tobago  Xima  ;  but  on  nearing  it,  the  size 
was  much  less  than  usually  described  ;  and  in  about 
an  hour  another  island  was  seen,  where  no  chart  or 
journal  they  had  examined  gave  notice  of  its  exist- 
ence. The  Commodore  then  thought  that  possibly 
the  currents  had  brought  the  ship  near  the  Bashee 

*  A  singular  incident  occurred  at  Tinian  about  forty  years  ago. 
An  American  whaler,  weighing  up  her  own  anchor,  hooked  up 
one  of  the  anchors  which  Anson  failed  to  recover.  It  was  but 
little  corroded,  after  a  submergence  of  nearly  a  century.  What 
became  of  it  afterwards  we  do  not  know,  but  the  finding  of  it 
was  an  interesting  memorial  of  Anson's  voyage. 


FROM  T1NIAN  TO  MACAO.  257 

islands.  It  was  thought  advisable  to  bring  to,  and 
wait  for  daylight.  It  was  a  dark  morning,  and  the 
uncertainty  was  prolonged,  but  in  the  forenoon, 
when  the  weather  cleared,  the  two  islands  were 
again  seen  ;  and  pressing  forward  to  the  'west.ward, 
the  southern  part  of  Formosa  was  sighted.  This 
satisfied  them  that  the  second  island  they  saw  was 
Botel  Tobago  Xima,  and  the  first  only  a  small  islet 
a  few  miles  east  of  it,  not  laid  down  in  the  charts. 

After  sighting  Formosa,  they  steered  W.  by  S.,  to 
double  its  extremity,  giving  the  rocky  coast  a  wide 
berth,  as  many  dangerous  reefs  are  known  to  be  in 
that  part,  with  shoals  stretching  from  them,  as  they 
perceived  from  the  breakers  on  all  sides.  These 
rocky  islets  are  called  Vele  Rete.  In  the  evening  a 
number  of  fires  were  discerned  on  the  island  of 
Formosa,  which  were  supposed  to  be  signals  inviting 
them  to  touch  there,  but  the  Commodore  was 
impatient  to  get  to  Macao.  Steering  W.N.W.,  he 
proposed  to  fall  in  with  the  Chinese  coast  to  the 
eastward  of  Pedro  Blanco,  as  the  rock  so  called  is 
usually  esteemed  a  good  direction  for  ships  bound 
to  Macao  ;  and  this  course  was  continued  till  the 
following  night,  frequent  trials  being  made  to  see  if 
they  were  in  soundings.  The  next  day,  careful 
look-out  being  always  kept,  the  course  was  altered 
to  N.N.W.,  as  the  soundings  had  increased  rather 
than  decreased  ;  and  having  run  about  thirty-five 
miles    in    that    direction,    the    soundings    gradually 

%7 


258  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

diminished  to  twenty-two  fathoms  ;  and  at  length 
towards  midnight  sight  was  got  of  the  mainland  of 
China,  about  four  leagues  distant.  The  ship  was 
then  brought  to,  with  her  head  to  the  sea,  purposing 
to  wait  for  the  morning. 

Before  sunset  they  were  surprised  to  find  them- 
selves in  the  midst  of  an  incredible  number  of 
fishing  boats,  which  seemed  to  swarm  on  the  sea  as 
far  as  the  eye  could  reach.  There  were  thousands 
of  them — five  or  six  thousand  certainly;  and  most  of 
the  boats  had  five  hands,  none  of  them  less  than 
three.  The  same  crowds  of  fishing  boats  were  met 
with  on  every  part  of  the  coast,  as  they  ran  on  to 
the  westward.  At  first  the  Commodore  thought  he 
might  from  these  boats  get  a  pilot  to  carry  them  to 
Macao,  but  it  was  not  possible  to  entice  any  one  on 
board,  or  to  obtain  any  information,  probably  from 
their  not  understanding  what  was  wanted.  This 
was  evident  when  a  number  of  dollars  was  shown 
to  them,  to  which  they  replied  by  holding  up  fish, 
as  if  inquiring  if  bartering  dollars  for  fish  was  the 
object.  So  the  fishermen  had  to  be  left,  and  reliance 
placed  on  their  own  judgment  as  to  the  course  for 
Macao. 

It  was  the  5th  of  November,  at  midnight,  when 
the  coast  of  China  was  first  made.  The  next  day, 
at  2  p.m.,  still  standing  to  the  westward,  about  two 
leagues  from  the  coast,  crowds  of  fishing  boats 
around,  a  red  flag  was  waved  from  one  of  the  boats, 


FROM  TINIAN  TO  MACAO.  259 

and  a  horn  blown.  This  was  taken  as  a  signal, 
either  to  warn  the  ship  off  some  shoal  or  rock,  or  to 
offer  a  pilot ;  so  the  cutter  was  sent  towards  the 
signalling  boat.  They  found  that  this  boat  carried 
the  Superintendent  or  Commodore  of  the  fishing 
fleet ;  for  soon  after  the  signal  of  the  flag  and  the 
horn  all  left  off  fishing,  and  every  boat  made  for 
the  shore. 

On  the  next  morning  the  rock  of  Pedro  Blanco 
was  sighted,  a  small  but  lofty  eminence,  sugar-loaf 
like,  both  in  shape  and  colour  (whence  the  name 
White  Rock).  It  rises  from  the  sea  at  a  distance  of 
seven  or  eight  miles  from  the  shore.  Passing 
within  a  mile  and  a  half,  leaving  it  between  them 
and  the  land,  next  day  they  were  abreast  of  a  chain 
of  islands,  stretching  from  east  to  west,  called  the 
islands  of  Lema,  fifteen  or  sixteen  of  which  were 
counted,  with  probably  many  others  nearer  the 
mainland,  all  apparently  rocky  and  barren.  Still 
there  were  fishing  boats  everywhere.  Again  the 
cutter  was  sent  to  try  to  get  a  pilot,  but  in  vain. 
However,  one  of  the  Chinamen  seemed  to  guess 
what  was  wanted,  for  on  hearing  the  name  Macao, 
he  made  signs  to  sail  round  the  westward  of  the 
islets  or  rocks  of  Lema,  and  then  to  hale  up. 
Following  this  direction,  they  came  to  anchor 
towards  evening  in  eighteen-fathom  water.  A  rock 
laid  down  in  the  charts,  and  an  island  called  the 
Grand  Ladrone,  afford  direction,  according   to   the 


26o  FROM  MIDDY  TO  AD  AURAL. 

charts,  for  finding  the  channel  between  the  islands  of 
Cabona  and  Bamboo,  which  leads  to  Macao. 

The  cutter  was  sent  out  to  sound  the  channel,  but 
before  she  returned,  a  Chinese  pilot  came  on  board 
the  '  Centurion,'  who  spoke  broken  Portuguese,  and 
said  he  would  carry  the  ship  to  Macao  for  thirty 
dollars,  The  money  was  at  once  paid,  and  they 
weighed  and  made  sail.  Soon  afterwards  several 
other  pilots  came  on  board,  each  of  them  producing 
certificates  from  captains  of  European  ships  they 
had  piloted  in  ;  but  of  course  the  first  Chinaman  who 
had  been  engaged  kept  his  post.  He  carried  the 
ship  between  the  islands  of  Bamboo  and  Cabona. 
The  wind  hanging  in  the  northern  board,  and  the 
tides  often  setting  strong  against  them,  the  course 
was  tedious,  having  frequently  to  come  to  anchor,  so 
that  the  passage  through  the  channel  was  not  made 
till  early  on  the  morning  of  the  12th  of  November. 
There  they  anchored,  not  far  from  the  island  of 
Lantoon,  the  largest  of  a  range  of  islets.  Weighing 
again  at  seven  in  the  morning,  and  steering  W.S.W. 
and  S.W.  by  W.,  the  'Centurion'  happily  anchored 
in  five-fathom  water  ;  the  city  of  Macao  bearing 
W.  by  N.  three  leagues  distant,  the  peak  of 
Lantoon  E.  by  N.,  and  the  Grand  Ladrone  S.  by  E., 
each  about  five  leagues  off. 

Thus,  after  a  cruise  of  about  two  years'  continuance, 
they  arrived  once  more  at  a  friendly  port,  in  a 
civilized   country    with   the  conveniences  of  life  in 


FROM  TINIAN  TO  MACAO.  261 

abundance  ;  where  naval  stores,  now  much  needed, 
could  be  procured  ;  and  where  they  expected  the 
inexpressible  satisfaction  of  receiving  letters  from 
England  ;  and  where  from  fellow-countrymen  would 
be  obtained  information  on  many  events  and  occur- 
rences of  the  knowledge  of  which  they  had  been  long 
deprived.  All  this  was  pleasant  in  anticipation, 
and  much  of  it  was  enjoyed  thankfully;  but  at  the 
same  time  there  were  some  drawbacks  and  troubles 
accompanying  a  state  of  so-called  civilisation,  of 
which  the  next  chapter  will  give  some  notion  ;  for 
there  is  a  perverse  and  evil,  as  well  as  a  pleasant  and 
good,  side  of  human  nature,  all  the  world  over. 


CHAPTER    XXX. 

PROCEEDINGS  AT  MACAO. 

r  I  ^HE  city  of  Macao  is  a  Portuguese  settlement, 
•*■     on  the  island  of  Heang-shan,  in  the  river  of 
Canton.     The    site  was  given    by   the  Emperor  of 
China  to  the  Portuguese  in  1 586,  in  return  for  assist- 
ance  rendered  by  them   against    pirates,  by  whom 
the  coasts  were  then  terribly  infested.     An  annual 
tribute  or  rent  used  to  be  paid,  but  this  was  remitted 
in    1863,   and  the  place   is   now   wholly  belonging 
to  the  crown  of  Portugal.     The  town  and  seaport 
contains  a  population  of  between  three  and  four  thou- 
sand, of  whom  the  larger  part  are  Chinese,  and  the 
remainder     Portuguese     and     half-breeds.        Some 
troops  are  stationed   in  the  forts  which  defend  the 
harbour.     The  trade  at  the  present  time  is  chiefly 
American.     Near  the  town  a  cave  and  garden  are 
shown,  where  Camoens  is  said  to  have  written  most 
of  his  epic  poem  the  '  Lusiad.'     The  Chinese  name 
for  Macao  is  Aou-mun,  "  the  entrance  to  the  bay." 

At  the  time  of  Anson's  voyage  Macao  was  a  place 
relatively   of  greater  importance  than  now,  and  of 


PROCEEDINGS  A  T  MA  CA  O.  263 

larger  wealth  and  population.  It  has  shared  the 
decay  of  the  whole  Portuguese  nation  and  empire. 
The  Governor  was  nominated  by  the  Portuguese,  but 
his  authority  had  to  be  exercised  with  great  circum- 
spection, as  the  place  was  occupied  only  by  the 
sufferance  of  the  Chinese,  who  could  at  any  time 
starve  the  population  into  subjection,  and  dispossess 
them  if  so  inclined.  This  caution  was  still  exercised 
in  Anson's  time,  which  chiefly  accounts  for  the  diffi- 
culties he  encountered  in  dealing  with  the  Portuguese 
Governor  and  officials. 

Most  of  the  European  trading  ships  at  that  time 
went  beyond  Macao,  up  the  Canton  River ;  and  at 
that  time  there  were  about  eleven  ships,  four  of 
them  English.  But  the  peculiar  customs  of  the 
Chinese  applying  solely  to  trading  ships,  the  Com- 
modore feared  that  if  he  insisted  on  being  treated 
on  a  different  footing  from  merchantmen,  he  might 
embroil  the  East  India  Company  with  the  Regency 
of  Canton,  and  therefore  he  resolved  rather  to  go  up 
the  Canton  River.  He  need  not  have  been  guided 
by  such  considerations,  for  he  might  have  gone 
and  stayed  as  long  as  he  pleased,  for  anything  the 
Chinese  could  have  done  in  opposition,  but  he  always 
preferred  to  act  prudently. 

As  soon  as  he  got  to  Macao  he  sent  an  officer 
with  his  compliments  to  the  Portuguese  Governor 
requesting  his  Excellency  to  apprise  him  in  what 
manner  it  would  be  proper  for  him  to  act  to  avoid 


264  FROM  MIDDY  TO   ADMIRAL. 

offending  the  Chinese,  which,  as  there  were  then 
four  English  ships  in  their  power  at  Canton,  was 
a  matter  worthy  of  attention.  One  difficulty  the 
Commodore  expected  would  be  made  as  to  the  duty 
usually  paid  by  ships  in  the  Canton  River  according 
to  their  tonnage.  In  civilised  countries,  by  inter- 
national usage,  men-of-war  in  foreign  ports  are 
always  exempted  from  these  port  charges  and 
duties  ;  and  the  Commodore  thought  it  would  be 
derogatory  to  the  honour  of  his  country  to  submit  to 
them  in  China.  He  asked  the  advice  of  the  Governor 
of  Macao  on  this  point.  The  boat  returned  in  the 
evening,  with  two  officers  sent  by  the  Governor  to 
accompany  the  officer  of  the  •  Centurion.'  They 
brought  the  message  that,  in  the  Governor's  opinion, 
the  customary  tribute  would  be  expected  by  the 
Chinese,  as  they  would  not  distinguish  a  man-of-war 
from  a  trading  ship,  not  knowing  the  usages  of 
other  nations.  The  Governor  therefore  advised 
Anson  not  to  go  up  the  river  ;  and  if  he  approved 
he  would  send  to  him  a  pilot  who  would  take  the 
ship  to  a  safe  harbour  called  the  Typa,  a  place  in 
every  way  commodious  for  careening  and  repairing 
the  ship,  which  he  understood  was  to  be  done  ;  and 
where,  in  all  probability,  the  customary  duty  would 
not  be  demanded. 

This  proposal  the  Commodore  agreed  to,  and  in 
the  morning  weighed  anchor,  under  the  direction  of 
the  Portuguese  pilot,  and  steered  for  the  harbour  of 


PROCEEDINGS  AT  MAC  A  O.  265 

Typa,  which  is  formed  by  a  group  of  islands  about 
six  miles  from  Macao.  The  castle  of  Macao  was 
here  saluted  with  eleven  guns,  which  were  returned 
by  an  equal  number. 

Next  day  the  Commodore  paid  a  visit  in  person 
to  the  Governor,  the  same  ceremony  of  salutes  being 
performed.  Mr.  Anson's  purpose  was  to  request  a 
supply  of  provisions,  and  such  naval  stores  as  were 
required  for  refitting  the  ship.  The  Governor  seemed 
to  be  truly  cordial,  and  said  he  would  do  all  in  his 
power  to  give  every  assistance,  but  frankly  owned 
that  he  dared  not  openly  furnish  any  supplies  unless 
there  was  produced  to  him  a  written  order  from  the 
Viceroy  of  Canton.  He  himself  neither  received 
any  provisions  for  his  garrison,  nor  any  other 
necessaries,  but  by  permission  of  the  Chinese  Govern- 
ment ;  and  they  took  care  to  victual  him  from  day  to 
day,  so  that  he  was  forced  to  consider  himself  there 
only  on  sufferance,  as  a  vassal  whom  they  could  bring 
to  their  own  terms  by  laying  an  embargo  on  their 
supplies. 

On  this  declaration  of  the  Governor,  Anson 
resolved  to  go  himself  to  Canton  to  procure  per- 
mission from  the  Viceroy,  and  accordingly  he  hired 
a  Chinese  boat  for  himself  and  his  attendants  ;  but 
just  when  they  were  about  to  embark,  the  Hoppo,  or 
Chinese  Custom  House  officer  at  Macao,  refused  to 
grant  a  permit  to  the  boat,  and  ordered  the  boat- 
men at   their  peril   not    to    proceed.     In   vain    the 


266  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

Commodore,  supported  by  the  Governor,  endeavoured 
to  persuade  the  Hoppo  to  withdraw  his  injunction 
and  grant  the  permit,  that  functionary  remained 
inflexible.  Anson,  upon  this,  told  him  that  if  the 
permit  was  any  longer  refused,  he  would  go  with  his 
own  boats,  manned  and  armed  ;  and  this  threat  at 
once  brought  the  Hoppo  to  his  senses,  for  he  well 
knew  he  had  no  force  to  oppose  such  an  action. 
He  granted  the  permit,  and  the  Commodore  went  to 
Canton. 

His  first  step  on  arrival  was  to  consult  the  officers 
and  supercargoes  of  the  English  ships  how  he 
could  procure  from  the  Viceroy  an  order  for  the 
necessaries  he  wanted.  The  answer  they  gave, 
though  well  intended,  did  not  commend  itself  to 
the  Commodore.  They  told  him  that  it  was  the 
custom  never  to  apply  to  the  supreme  magistrate 
or  Viceroy  himself,  but  to  transact  all  matters 
affecting  the  Government  by  the  mediation  of  the 
chief  Chinese  merchants  of  Canton.  He  was  at 
first  persuaded  to  follow  the  same  method,  never 
doubting  that  the  English  merchant  ship  captains 
and  supercargoes  would  exert  aH  their  interest  with 
the  Chinese  merchants  in  his  favour. 

But  when  a  week  passed,  and  a  second  week, 
and  then  nearly  a  month,  without  anything  being 
heard  of  his  request,  the  Commodore's  patience  was 
exhausted,  and  he  insisted  that  a  letter  should  be 
delivered    to  the   Viceroy,  for  an  answer  to  which 


PROCEEDINGS  A  T  MA  CA  O.  267 

he  would  wait.  Then  the  crafty  selfish  Chinese 
merchants  threw  off  the  mask,  and  confessed  that 
they  had  never  made  the  application  they  promised, 
nor  could  they  do  so  ;  declaring  that  the  Viceroy 
was  too  exalted  a  personage  to  be  approached  on 
any  occasion.  Not  content  with  having  deceived 
the  Commodore  by  their  false  promises,  these 
merchants  now  used  all  their  persuasion  with  the 
English  traders  to  prevent  them  intermeddling  in 
the  affair  ;  representing  to  them  that  it  would,  in 
all  probability,  embroil  them  with  the  Government, 
and  bring  them  into  trouble,  which  insinuations 
had  unluckily  too  much  weight  with  those  they 
were  intended  to  influence. 

Anson  saw  that  little  could  be  done  through 
such  scheming,  cold-blooded  people  as  these 
merchants,  whether  Chinese  or  British,  who  were 
only  calculating  how  his  presence  and  his  applica- 
tion might  affect  their  position  and  their  profits. 
He  then  said  he  supposed  he  must  go  to  Batavia 
to  get  his  ship  refitted  ;  not  that  he  ever  had  any 
thought  of  going  there,  but  by  throwing  out  the 
idea  some  impression  might  be  made  on  these 
people.  To  go  to  Batavia  a  supply  of  provisions 
would  be  needed,  and  this  the  merchants  under- 
took to  procure  for  him  ;  though  they  assured  him 
that  they  could  not  render  this  service  openly, 
but  in  a  clandestine  way,  proposing  to  send  the 
provisions  then  on   board  the  English  ships  ready 


268  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

to  sail,  in  boats  to  the  mouth  of  the  Typa  harbour, 
where  the  '  Centurion's  '  boats  would  receive  what 
was  sent  on  payment  being  made. 

The  Commodore,  on  returning  to  the  '  Centurion,' 
found  that  not  only  provisions  would  be  required, 
but  important  repairs  were  absolutely  necessary, 
without  which  he  could  not  possibly  put  to  sea. 
The  ship  if  it  left  the  port  in  its  present  condition 
would  run  every  risk  of  foundering ;  and  therefore, 
notwithstanding  the  difficulties  he  had  met  with, 
he  determined  to  have  her  hove  down  before  he 
departed  from  Macao.  He  was  now  convinced 
that  his  honourable  anxiety  not  to  injure  the 
East  India  Company's  affairs,  and  his  desire  to  do 
nothing  to  weaken  the  position  of  their  trading 
vessels'  officers,  had  occasioned  all  his  trouble.  He 
saw  now  clearly  that  if  he  had  disregarded  their 
advice,  and  carried  his  ship  into  the  river  of  Canton, 
and  there  addressed  himself  frankly  and  directly 
to  the  Mandarins,  instead  of  employing  the 
merchants  in  his  behalf,  he  might  have  had  his 
requests  granted,  and  at  all  events  could  not  have 
been  worse  off  than  he  now  was,  with  the  additional 
annoyance  of  having  lost  a  month's  time.  He  was 
resolved  to  lose  no  more;  so  on  the  17th  of 
December,  the  very  next  day  after  his  return  to  his 
ship,  he  wrote  a  letter  to  the  Viceroy,  acquainting 
him  that  he  was  in  command  of  a  squadron  of 
British    ships-of-war,  that  had   been   for  two  years 


PROCEEDINGS  A T  MA  CA  O.  269 

cruising  against  the  Spaniards,  who  were  at  enmity 
with  the  King  of  England,  his  master ;  that  on  his 
way  back  to  England  he  had  put  into  the  port  of 
Macao  for  refitting,  having  a  great  leak  in  his  ship, 
and  also  being  in  great  need  of  provisions  ;  that  he 
could  not  proceed  on  his  voyage  till  his  ship  was 
repaired,  and  stocked  with  necessary  supplies  ;  that 
he  had  been  to  Canton,  but  had  not  been  able  to 
inform  himself  of  the  proper  steps  to  be  taken  to 
obtain  an  audience  of  his  Excellency,  and  therefore 
was  obliged  to  apply  by  letter  to  request  his 
Excellency  to  give  orders  for  his  being  permitted 
to  employ  carpenters  and  proper  workmen  to  refit 
his  ship,  and  to  furnish  himself  with  provisions  and 
stores,  for  enabling  him  to  pursue  his  voyage  to 
England.  He  hoped  that  such  orders  would  be 
issued  from  his  Excellency  with  as  little  delay  as 
possible,  lest  he  might  lose  the  present  season,  and 
be  prevented  from  departing  till  next  winter. 

This  letter  was  translated  into  Chinese,  and  the 
Commodore  took  it  himself  to  the  Hoppo  or  chief 
officer  of  the  Emperor's  Customs  at  Macao,  desiring 
him  to  forward  it  to  the  Viceroy  with  as  much  ex- 
pedition as  he  could.  The  Hoppo  at  first  seemed 
unwilling  to  take  charge  of  the  letter,  and  raised 
many  difficulties  about  it ;  so  far,  that  the  Com- 
modore suspected  him  of  being  in  league  with  the 
Canton  merchants,  who  had  already  shown  so  much 
apprehension    of    the    Commodore's    having    direct 


270  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

intercourse  with  the  Mandarins  or  the  Viceroy.  He 
therefore,  with  some  show  of  indignation,  took  back 
his  letter  from  the  Hoppo,  and  told  him  he  should 
immediately  send  it  to  Canton  in  his  own  boat,  and 
give  his  officer  positive  orders  not  to  return  without 
a  reply  from  the  Viceroy. 

As  soon  as  the  miserable  Hoppo  saw  that  the 
Commodore  was  in  earnest,  and  fearing  that  he 
might  be  called  to  account  for  refusing  to  send  the 
letter,  he  begged  to  be  entrusted  with  it,  and  promised 
to  deliver  it  at  Canton,  and  procure  an  answer  as 
soon  as  possible.  It  was  now  seen  how  justly 
Anson  had  judged  of  the  proper  manner  of  dealing 
with  the  Chinese.  This  letter  was  written  on  the 
17th  of  December.  Two  days  after,  on  the  19th, 
in  the  morning,  there  came  a  Mandarin  of  the  first 
class,  Governor  of  the  city  of  Janson,  with  two  other 
Mandarins  of  lower  grade,  and  a  considerable  retinue 
of  officers  and  attendants,  having  with  them  eighteen 
galleys  or  boats,  decorated  with  imperial  streamers, 
furnished  with  music,  and  full  of  men.  They  grap- 
nelled ahead  of  the  '  Centurion,'  and  the  chief 
Mandarin  sent  a  message  to  the  Commodore,  telling 
him  he  was  sent  by  order  of  the  Viceroy  of  Canton 
to  examine  the  condition  of  the  English  ship,  and 
desiring  the  ship's  boat  to  be  sent  to  fetch  him  on 
board.  The  '  Centurion's '  boat  was  immediately 
despatched,  and  preparations  made  for  the  reception 
of  the  Mandarin.      In  particular,  a  hundred  of  the 


PROCEEDINGS  AT  MACA O.  271 

most  sightly  of  the  crew  were  uniformly  arrayed  in 
the  regimentals  of  the  marines,  and  drawn  up  under 
arms  on  the  main-deck  against  his  arrival.  On 
stepping  on  board  the  ship  he  was  saluted  by  the 
drums  and  what  other  military  music  there  was  ; 
and  passing  by  the  new-formed  guard,  he  was  met 
by  the  Commodore  on  the  quarter-deck,  who  con- 
ducted him  to  the  great  cabin.  Here  the  Mandarin 
explained  his  commission,  declaring  that  he  was 
directed  to  examine  all  the  articles  mentioned  in 
the  Commodore's  letter  to  the  Viceroy,  and  to  com- 
pare them  with  the  representations  made  ;  but  he 
was  first  to  inspect  the  leak,  for  which  purpose  he 
had  brought  two  experienced  Chinese  carpenters ; 
and  that  for  more  formally  carrying  out  his  instruc- 
tions, he  had  sheets  of  paper,  with  void  spaces 
opposite  to  each  statement,  upon  which  his  writers 
would  insert  the  reports,  and  add  such  information 
as  he  might  obtain  by  his  own  observation. 

This  Mandarin  appeared  to  be  a  person  of  con- 
siderable ability,  and  endowed  with  more  frankness 
and  honesty  than  the  trading  merchants  they  had 
hitherto  dealt  with.  After  the  necessary  inspections 
had  been  made,  particularly  as  to  the  leak,  which 
the  Chinese  carpenters  reported  to  be  to  the  full  as 
dangerous  as  it  had  been  described,  and  consequently 
that  it  was  impossible  for  the  '  Centurion  '  to  proceed 
to  sea  without  being  refitted,  the  Mandarin  ex- 
pressed himself  satisfied  with  the  statements  given 


2>j2  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

in  the  Commodore's  letter  to  the  Viceroy.  This 
magistrate,  as  he  was  more  intelligent  than  any 
other  of  his  nation  that  the  English  had  met,  was 
also  more  inquiring,  for  he  wished  to  see  all  parts  of 
the  ship,  and  examine  everything  with  great  atten- 
tion. He  was  much  surprised  with  the  size  of  the 
lower  deck  guns,  and  at  the  weight  and  size  of 
the  shot. 

The  Commodore,  observing  his  astonishment, 
thought  this  a  good  opportunity  of  convincing  the 
Chinese  of  the  prudence  of  granting  all  his  requests 
in  the  most  speedy  and  ample  manner.  He  there- 
fore told  the  Mandarin,  and  those  who  were  with 
him,  that  besides  the  request  he  had  made  for  a 
general  permission,  he  had  particular  complaint  to 
prefer  against  the  treatment  he  had  received  from  the 
Custom  House  at  Macao ;  that  on  first  arriving, 
boats  had  brought  plenty  of  greens,  and  variety  of 
fish  for  their  daily  use,  and  that  although  those  who 
brought  them  were  always  paid  to  their  full  satis- 
faction, yet  the  Custom  House  officers  had  soon 
forbidden  them  to  bring  more,  so  that  they  were 
deprived  of  those  refreshments  which  were  necessary 
for  the  health  of  his  men  after  their  long  and  sickly 
voyage.  The  Mandarins,  the  Commodore  added 
must  be  aware,  after  their  inspection  of  the  ship, 
both  of  their  wants,  and  of  the  force  and  strength 
of  the  ship  ;  and  therefore  it  was  not  because  he  had 
not   power    to  supply  himself  that  he    craved   the 


PROCEEDINGS  A T  MA  CA  0.  273 

interference  of  the  Government,  for  the  ■  Centurion  ' 
could  destroy  the  whole  navigation  of  the  river 
and  port  if  so  inclined  ;  but  this  was  not  the  way  of 
proceeding  between  nations  in  friendship  with  each 
other  ;  and  it  was  also  true  that  a  friendly  nation 
did  not  permit  the  ships  of  their  friends  to  starve 
or  to  sink  in  their  ports,  when  these  friends  were 
ready  to  purchase  whatever  they  required.  He 
thought  that  he  had  shown  great  self-restraint  and 
moderation  ;  but,  as  his  distresses  were  each  day 
increasing,  famine  would  at  last  prove  too  strong  for 
any  restraint,  and  necessity  was  acknowledged  to  be 
above  every  other  law  ;  and  that  therefore  it  could 
not  be  expected  that  his  crew  would  long  continue 
to  starve  in  the  midst  of  that  plenty  to  which  their 
eyes  were  every  day  witnesses. 

Then  the  Commodore,  seeing  the  attention  with 
which  his  appeal  was  listened  to,  and  believing  that 
the  intelligent  Chief  Mandarin  was  a  man  not 
insensible  to  humour,  he  added,  with  a  less  serious 
air,  that  if,  by  delay  in  getting  provisions,  his  men 
should,  from  the  impulses  of  hunger,  be  obliged  to 
turn  cannibals,  and  to  prey  upon  their  own  species, 
it  was  easy  to  foresee  that,  independent  of  their 
friendship  to  their  comrades,  they  would  much 
prefer  the  plump,  well-fed  Chinese  to  their  own 
emaciated  shipmates. 

The  First  Mandarin  good-humouredly  acquiesced 
in  this  reasoning,  and  told   the  Commodore  that  he 

18 


274  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

was  returning  to  Canton  that  evening  ;  that  on  the 
next  day  there  would  be  summoned  a  council  of 
Mandarins  to  receive  and  consider  his  report  ;  and 
that  as  he  was  himself  fully  convinced  of  the 
urgency  of  the  business,  he  had  no  doubt  that  on 
his  representation  the  council  would  be  of  the  same 
opinion,  and  that  all  that  had  been  asked  would  be 
amply  and  speedily  granted.  With  regard  to  these 
complaints  about  the  Custom  House  of  Macao,  he 
would  rectify  that  at  once  upon  his  own  authority. 
Then  desiring  a  list  to  be  given  to  him  of  the 
necessary  provisions  for  the  use  of  the  ship  during 
one  day,  he  wrote  a  permit  under  it,  and  delivered 
it  to  one  of  his  attendants,  directing  him  to  see  that 
quantity  sent  on  board  early  every  morning  ;  which 
order,  from  that  time  forwards,  was  punctually 
complied  with. 

When  all  this  business  had  been  concluded,  the 
Commodore  invited  the  Chief  Mandarin  and  the 
two  others  to  dinner,  telling  them  that  if  the  fare 
was  not  equal  to  what  he  would  wish,  or  they  might 
expect,  it  was  not  his  fault,  but  the  fault  of  those 
of  whom  he  had  been  making  complaint.  The 
Mandarin  accepted  the  invitation  and  the  apology 
with  the  utmost  politeness,  and  the  dinner  passed 
off  very  well.  For  one  of  the  main  dishes,  beef,  the 
Chinese  seemed  to  have  no  taste,  but  the  fowls  they 
ate  of  heartily.  The  knives  and  forks  were  em- 
barrassing, for  they  were  evidently  quite  unused  to 


PROCEEDINGS  AT  MACAO.  275 

them  ;  but  the  Commodore  told  an  attendant  to  cut 
the  white  meat  of  the  fowls  into  small  pieces  for 
them.  Whatever  difficulty  they  had  in  complying 
with  the  European  manner  of  eating,  they  seemed 
not  to  be  novices  in  drinking  ;  for  they  got  through 
several  bottles  of  Frontignac,  and  afterwards  a  bottle 
of  Citron  water,  which  seemed  to  leave  them  as  cool 
as  if  they  had  taken  no  stronger  drink.  The 
Commodore  having,  according  to  custom,  made  the 
Mandarin  a  present,  they  all  departed,  in  high  good 
humour,  and  with  courteous  ceremony,  in  the  same 
vessels  that  had  brought  them. 

After  the  departure  of  the  Mandarins,  the  Com- 
modore awaited  with  some  impatience  the  resolution 
of  the  council  to  be  held  at  Canton,  authorising  the 
licenses  for  refitting  his  ship.  The  Chinese  workmen 
dared  not  engage  themselves  in  his  service  till  the 
permission  of  the  Government  was  obtained.  Not- 
withstanding the  favourable  disposition  of  the  Chief 
Mandarin,  several  days  elapsed  before  any  tidings 
came  from  Canton.  The  Commodore  was  privately 
informed  that  there  had  been  much  debate  in  the 
council  about  his  business,  difficulty  being  raised 
through  the  intrigues  of  the  French  at  Canton. 
They  had  an  agent,  well  versed  in  the  language, 
and  also  clever  in  scheming  on  behalf  of  his  com- 
patriots. The  French  officers  in  command  of  ships 
pretended  that  their  East  Indiamen,  certainly  large 
and  well-armed  vessels,  were  men-of-war,  and  they 


276  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

were  jealous  of  any  distinction  being  allowed  to 
Commodore  Anson  on  the  ground  of  his  bearing  the 
King  of  England's  commission,  while  their  masters 
were  only  trading  companies.  They  affected  to 
believe  that  after  this  their  importance  in  the  eyes 
of  the  Chinese  would  be  lessened  if  the  '  Centurion ' 
was  treated  with  greater  respect  than  their  trading 
ships  ;  and  this  feeling  was  not  confined  to  French 
captains,  but  to  the  commanders  of  other  European 
vessels  in  the  river.  This  unworthy  intriguing  for  their 
own  benefit  and  importance  caused  delay,  but  could 
not  overcome  the  strong  representations  made  by  the 
Commodore's  Mandarin  friend,  who  finally  gained 
his  plea  with  the  council. 

On  the  6th  of  January,  the  Mandarin  sent  down 
the  Viceroy's  formal  warrant  for  the  refitment  of  the 
•  Centurion,'  and  for  supplying  her  people  with  all 
that  they  wanted.  Having  now  got  the  necessary 
permission,  a  number  of  Chinese  smiths,  carpenters, 
and  workmen  went  on  board  next  day  to  treat  as 
to  the  work,  and  drove  the  best  bargains  they  could 
as  to  wages  and  terms.  These  being  settled,  the 
Commodore  next  exerted  himself  about  the  most 
important  business  of  heaving  down  the  ship,  and 
having  her  bottom  thoroughly  examined.  Two 
junks  were  hired,  one  for  heaving  down  by,  and  the 
other  for  a  temporary  magazine  for  the  powder  and 
ammunition.  On  an  adjoining  island  a  large  tent 
was  erected  for  lodging  the  stores  and  provisions. 


PROCEEDINGS  AT  MAC  A  O.  277 

About  a  hundred  Chinese  caulkers  were  soon  at 
work  on  the  decks  and  sides  of  the  ship.  The 
junks  did  not  arrive  till  the  26th  of  January,  and 
the  materials  had  to  be  purchased  at  Canton  for  the 
work,  so  that  there  was  tedious  delay.  The  car- 
penters found  the  leak  to  be  caused  by  one  of  the 
bolts  being  worn  away,  and  this  they  effectually 
repaired. 

It  was  not  till  the  3rd  of  March  that  the  whole 
work  was  completed,  all  the  sheathing  and  the 
bottom  made  sound,  and  the  ship  righted  again. 
Then  they  took  on  board  the  powder,  got  in  their 
guns  as  fast  as  possible,  and  set  to  work  to  repair 
the  foremast,  and  to  finish  other  articles  of  the 
refitment.  It  was  actually  the  beginning  of  April 
before  all  was  completed,  the  ship  new  rigged, 
provisions  and  water  on  board,  and  all  ready  for  sea. 
Before  this  time  the  Chinese  had  begun  to  show 
great  anxiety  to  get  them  off;  not  knowing,  or 
pretending  not  to  believe,  that  the  Commodore  was 
more  eager  than  they  were  to  see  the  '  Centurion ' 
depart.  About  the  3rd  of  April  two  Mandarins 
came  on  board  from  Macao  to  press  him  to  leave 
their  port.  This  rather  nettled  the  Commodore,  who 
answered  in  somewhat  brusque  style,  desiring  them 
not  to  give  him  further  trouble,  for  he  would  go 
when  he  thought  proper,  and  not  sooner.  It  is 
possible  that  the  merchants  got  these  Mandarins  to 
interfere,  and  perhaps  there  was  some  good  reason 


278  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

to  wish  to  hasten  the  departure,  because  the  rumours 
of  an  English  ship-of-war  being  in  the  port  might 
hinder  the  usual  trade  from  the  Spanish  settlements. 
The  Mandarins,  in  their  own  way,  resented  the  snub- 
bing they  had  got  ;  for  although  they  could  not  order 
'  the  Commodore  to  go,  they  did  order  their  people 
to  carry  no  more  provisions  on  board,  and  from  that 
time  nothing  could  be  purchased  on  any  terms. 

Accordingly,  on  the  6th  of  April,  the  '  Centurion  ' 
weighed  from  the  Typa  harbour,  and  warped  to  the 
southward;  and  by  the  15th  she  was  got  into  the 
Macao  road,  completing  her  stock  of  water  as  she 
passed  along  ;  and  her  whole  business  being  finished 
on  the  19th,  she  weighed  at  three  in  the  afternoon 
that  day,  made   sail,  and  stood  to  sea. 

One  incident  of  the  Macao  period  remains  to  be 
mentioned.  In  the  month  of  December,  Captain 
Saunders  took  his  passage  for  England  on  board 
a  Swedish  ship,  and  was  charged  with  despatches 
from  the  Commodore.  Shortly  afterwards,  Captain 
Mitchell,  Colonel  Cracherode,  chief  of  the  land  force, 
and  Mr.  Taswell,  one  of  the  Agent  Victuallers,  with 
his  nephew,  embarked  on  board  one  of  the  East 
India  Company's  ships ;  and  with  them,  having 
obtained  the  Commodore's  leave,  went  the  chaplain, 
the  Rev.  Richard  Walter,  to  whose  journal  of  the 
voyage  we  are  indebted  for  most  of  the  facts  in  the 
previous  narrative. 

During  the  stay  at  Macao,  the  Commodore  was 


PROCEEDINGS  A T  MA  CA  O.  279 

informed  by  the  officers  of  the  Indiamen,  that  the 
'  Severn '  and  the  •  Pearl,'  the  two  ships  of  the 
squadron  which  had  parted  company  off  Cape  Nori, 
and  which  had  been  supposed  to  be  lost,  had  arrived 
safely  at  Rio  Janeiro.  The  '  Severn  '  was  the  most 
sickly  of  all  the  ships,  having  lost  the  largest  number 
of  her  crew,  and  the  Commodore  was  obliged  to 
recruit  her  with  a  number  of  fresh  hands  before  her 
departure  from  St.  Catherine's.  Having  lost  many 
after  that,  she  was  supplied  with  additional  hands 
a  second  time  when  at  sea,  after  setting  sail  from 
St.  Julian's.  Her  state  was  so  distressing,  that  the 
Commodore  had  firmly  believed  she  was  lost  when 
the  stormy  weather  began  ;  and  it  was  therefore  with 
extreme  joy  he  now  received  the  news  of  her  safety, 
and  that  of  the  '  Pearl,'  which  had  also  been  given 
up  for  lost. 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 

THE  TAKING  OF  THE  MANILLA  GALLEON 

/^"^VNCE  more  the  'Centurion'  had  got  to  sea, 
^-^  the  ship  well  refitted,  the  stores  replenished, 
and  a  good  stock  of  provisions  on  board.  The 
crew  was  also  somewhat  reinforced,  for  the  Commo- 
dore had  entered  twenty-three  men  during  his  stay 
at  Macao,  the  greatest  part  of  them  Lascars  or 
Indian  sailors,  and  the  rest  Dutch.  At  Macao  the 
report  was  spread  and  encouraged,  that  the  ship 
was  bound  to  Batavia,  and  thence  to  England.  The 
westerly  monsoon  was  now  set  in,  when  that  passage 
is  considered  impracticable  ;  yet  by  the  confidence 
expressed  by  the  Commodore  in  the  strength  and 
sailing  power  of  his  ship,  and  the  dexterity  of  his 
hands,  he  had  persuaded  not  only  his  own  crew  but 
most  of  the  people  at  Macao  that  he  intended  to 
try  this  unusual  experiment  ;  and  so  convinced  were 
they  of  this  being  his  purpose,  that  many  letters 
were  sent  on  board  by  people  of  Canton  and  Macao 
to  be  carried  by  the  '  Centurion '  to  their  friends  at 
Batavia. 


TAKING   OF  THE  MANILLA    GALLEON.    281 

But  the  Commodore's  real  design  was  of  a  very 
different   nature.      His    heart   was    still    set  on  the 
great  Spanish  galleons.     He  supposed  that  instead 
of  one  annual  ship  from  Acapulco  to  Manilla,  there 
would  in  all  probability  be  two  this  year,  since  by 
his  cruising  off  Acapulco  he  had  prevented  the  usual 
annual    ship    from    putting    to    sea    the    preceding 
season.     He  was  therefore — not  discouraged  by  his 
former  disasters  and  disappointments — resolved  again 
to  risk  the  perils  and  casualties  of  the  Pacific,  and  to 
cruise  for  these  expected  vessels  off  Cape  Espirito 
Santo,  or  the  island  of  Samal,  which  is  the  first  land 
these  ships  always  make  at  the  Philippine  Islands. 
As  June  is  generally  the  month  in  which  they  arrive 
there,    he    doubted    not    but    he    should    be  at  his 
intended  station  in  time  to  intercept  them.     It  is 
true  he  knew  that  they  were  said  to  be  stout  vessels, 
mounting  forty-four  guns  apiece,  and  each  carrying 
near  five  hundred  hands  ;  and  the   two    might  be 
expected  to  return  in   company,  while  he  had  but 
two  hundred  and  twenty-seven  hands  on  board  the 
1  Centurion,'  of  which  nearly  thirty  were  boys.     But 
this  great  disproportion  of  strength  did  not  deter  him. 
He  knew  his  ship  was  better  fitted  for  a  sea  engage- 
ment than  theirs,  and  he  knew  that  his  men  would 
exert  themselves  to  the  utmost,  after  all  their  disap- 
pointments, and  when  they  had  in  view  the  immense 
wealth  of  these  Manilla  galleons. 

This  project  the  Commodore  had  resolved  on  in 


282  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

his  own  thoughts  ever  since  his  leaving  the  coast  of 
Mexico.  And  the  greatest  anxiety  he  had,  and 
sorest  vexation  he  felt,  at  the  various  delays  in  China, 
was  from  his  fear  of  being  so  long  delayed  as  to  let 
the  galleons  escape  him.  At  Macao  he  was  obliged 
to  keep  his  design  wholly  secret,  because  there  being 
a  constant  communication  between  the  port  and 
Manilla,  he  was  apprehensive  that  warning  might  be 
sent  to  prevent  the  galleons  putting  out  to  sea,  and 
falling  into  his  hands. 

Being  now  at  sea,  and  entirely  clear  of  the  coast, 
the  Commodore  summoned  all  his  people  on  the 
quarter-deck,  and  informed  them  of  his  resolution  to 
cruise  for  the  two  galleons,  of  whose  wealth  they  all 
knew.  He  expected  that  there  would  be  two  of  them 
this  year,  and  he  had  chosen  a  station  where  he  could 
not  fail  of  meeting  them.  The  Spanish  vessels  were 
said  to  be  stout  ships,  but  he  trusted  in  the  courage 
of  Englishmen  to  disregard  any  odds  on  such  an  occa- 
sion. He  told  them  that  though  he  had  only  two 
hundred  and  twenty-seven  hands  on  board  all  told, 
and  the  Spanish  ships  five  hundred  men  each,  he  did 
not  fear  the  result  if  he  could  come  near  them.  He 
further  added  that  many  ridiculous  stories  had  been 
spread  about  the  strength  of  these  ships,  and  that 
they  were  even  impenetrable  to  cannon-shot ;  that 
these  fictions  had  been  principally  invented  as  an 
excuse  for  the  cowardice  of  those  who  had  formerly 
engaged  them  ;  but  he  hoped  there  were  none  present 


TAKING   OF  THE  MANILLA    GALLEON.    283 

weak  enough  to  believe  these  absurd  stories  ;  and, 
for  his  own  part,  he  assured  them,  upon  his  word, 
that  whenever  he  fell  in  with  them,  he  would  fight 
them  so  near,  that  his  bullets,  instead  of  being  stopped 
by  one  of  their  sides,  should  go  through  them  both. 

The  speech  of  the  Commodore  was  received  with 
great  joy,  and  the  answer  was  given  with  three 
hearty  cheers,  after  the  manner  of  British  sailors. 
All  the  perils  and  mishaps  of  the  past  were  forgotten. 
The  enthusiasm  spread  through  the  whole  of  the 
ship's  crew.  Much  amusement  was  caused  one  day 
when  the  Commodore  asked  the  butcher  why  he  had 
lately  seen  no  mutton  at  his  table,  and  the  butcher 
replied  that  he  had  only  two  sheep  left,  and,  with  the 
Commodore's  leave,  he  proposed  to  keep  them  for  the 
entertainment  of  the  Spanish  general. 

After  leaving  Macao  the  '  Centurion '  stood  for 
some  days  to  the  westward,  and  on  the  1st  of 
May  saw  part  of  the  island  of  Formosa.  Then 
steering  to  the  southward,  they  were  on  the  4th  of 
May  in  the  latitude  of  the  Bashee  Islands,  as  laid 
down  by  Dampier  ;  but  it  was  found  that  he  had  been 
considerably  mistaken  in  their  position,  being  laid 
down  twenty-five  leagues  too  much  to  the  west. 
After  getting  a  sight  of  the  Bashee  Islands,  they  stood 
between  S.  and  S.W.  for  Cape  Espirito  Santo  ;  and 
on  the  20th  of  May  at  noon  discovered  that  Cape 
about  eleven  leagues  distant.  As  it  was  known  that 
sentinels   were    stationed   on   the   heights   to   make 


284  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

signals  to  the  Acapulco  ship,  the  Commodore  imme- 
diately tacked,  and  ordered  the  top-gallant  sails  to  be 
taken  in,  to  prevent  being  discovered.  This  being 
the  station  where  it  was  resolved  to  cruise  for  the 
galleons,  they  sought  to  keep  the  Cape  between  the 
S.  and  W.,  and  to  confine  themselves  between  latitude 
12°  50'  and  I3°S.,  the  Cape  itself  lying  by  their 
observation  in  1 2°  40'  north,  and  in  40  east  longtitude 
for  Botel  Tobago  Xima  Island. 

It  was  the  last  day  of  May  when  they  arrived  off 
the  Cape,  and  the  time  of  the  expected  appearance 
of  the  galleon  was  approaching.  An  idea  of  the 
eagerness  with  which  the  expectation  was  kept  up 
may  be  seen  in  the  following  extracts  from  the 
journal  of  one  of  the  officers  : — 

'  May  31. — Exercising  our  men  at  their  quarters, 
in  great  hope  of  meeting  with  the  galleon  soon,  this 
being  the  nth  of  June,  their  style. 

1 J  tine  3. — Keeping  in  our  stations,  and  looking  out 
for  the  galleon. 

1 June  5. — In  great  expectation,  this  being  the 
middle  of  June,  their  style. 

'  June  1 1. — Began  to  grow  impatient  at  not  seeing 
the  galleons. 

'  June  15. — Cruising  on  and  off,  and  looking  out 
strictly. 

'  June  19. — This  being  the  last  day  of  June,  new 
style,  the  galleons,  if  they  arrive  at  all,  must  appear 
soon.' 


TAKING  OF  THE  MANILLA    GALLEON    285 

These  samples  of  entries  in  the  journal  show  how 
thoroughly  they  were  absorbed  with  this  one  affair, 
and  every  day's  delay  increased  their  anxiety. 
However,  on  the  20th  of  June,  old  style,  just  a 
month  after  their  gaining  their  station,  they  were 
relieved  out  of  this  state  of  uncertainty  ;  for  at  sun- 
rise they  discovered  a  sail  from  the  masthead  in  the 
S.E.  quarter.  On  this  a  general  joy  spread  through 
the  whole  ship,  for  they  had  no  doubt  that  this  was 
one  of  the  galleons,  and  they  expected  soon  to  descry 
the  other.  The  Commodore  instantly  stood  towards 
her,  and  at  half-an-hour  after  seven  they  were  near 
enough  to  see  her  from  the  '  Centurion's '  deck,  at 
which  time  the  galleon  fired  a  gun  and  took  in  her 
top -gallant  sails.  This  was  supposed  to  be  a  signal 
to  her  consort  to  hasten  her  up,  and  therefore  the 
1  Centurion '  fired  a  gun  to  leeward  to  amuse  her. 
The  Commodore  was  surprised  to  find  that  during 
all  this  interval  the  galleon  did  not  change  her 
course,  but  continued  to  bear  down  upon  him  ;  for 
he  hardly  believed,  what  afterwards  appeared  to  be 
the  case,  that  she  knew  his  ship  to  be  the  '  Centurion,' 
and  resolved  to  fight  him. 

About  noon  the  Commodore  was  little  more  than 
a  league  distant  from  the  galleon,  and  could  fetch 
her  wake,  so  that  she  could  not  now  escape  ;  and  no 
second  ship  appearing  it  was  concluded  that  she 
had  been  separated  from  her  consort.  Soon  after  the 
galleon  haled  up  her  foresail  and  brought  to  under 


286  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

topsails,  with  her  head  to  the  northward,  hoisting 
Spanish  colours  and  having  the  standard  of  Spain 
flying  at  the  top-gallant  mast-head.  Mr.  Anson  in 
the  meantime  had  prepared  all  things  for  an  engage- 
ment on  board  the  '  Centurion,'  and  had  taken  every 
possible  measure,  both  for  the  most  effectual  exertion 
of  his  small  strength  and  for  the  avoiding  the  con- 
fusion and  tumult  too  frequent  in  actions  of  this 
kind.  He  picked  out  about  thirty  of  his  choicest 
hands  and  best  marksmen,  whom  he  distributed  into 
his  tops,  and  who  fully  answered  his  expectation  by 
the  signal  services  they  performed.  As  he  had  not 
hands  enough  remaining  to  quarter  a  sufficient  num- 
ber to  each  great  gun  in  the  customary  manner,  he 
therefore  on  his  lower  tier  fixed  only  two  men  to 
each  gun,  who  were  to  be  solely  employed  in  loading 
it,  whilst  the  rest  of  his  people  were  divided  into 
different  gangs  of  ten  or  twelve  men  each,  who  were 
continually  moving  about  the  decks  to  run  out  and 
fire  such  guns  as  were  loaded.  By  this  manage- 
ment he  was  enabled  to  make  use  of  all  his  guns, 
and  instead  of  whole  broadsides  with  intervals 
between  them  he  kept  up  a  constant  fire  without 
intermission,  whence  he  doubted  not  to  procure 
very  signal  advantages.  For  it  is  common  with  the 
Spaniards  to  fall  down  upon  the  decks  when  they 
see  a  broadside  preparing,  and  to  continue  in  that 
posture  till  it  is  given  ;  after  which  they  rise  again 
and,  presuming  the  danger  to  be  for  some  time  over, 


TAKING   OF  THE  MANILLA    GALLEON     287 

work  their  guns  and  fire  with  great  briskness  till 
another  broadside  is  ready  ;  but  the  firing  gun  by 
gun  in  the  manner  directed  by  the  Commodore 
rendered  this  practice  of  theirs  impossible. 

The  '  Centurion  '  being  thus  prepared,  and  nearing 
the  galleon  apace,  there  happened  a  little  after  noon 
several  squalls  of  wind  and  rain,  which  often  obscured 
the  galleon  from  their  sight ;  but  whenever  it  cleared 
up  they  observed  her  resolutely  lying  to.  Towards 
one  o'clock  the  '  Centurion '  hoisted  her  broad  pen- 
dant and  colours,  she  being  then  within  gunshot 
of  the  enemy,  and  the  Commodore  perceiving  the 
Spaniards  to  have  neglected  clearing  their  ship  till 
that  time,  as  he  saw  them  throwing  overboard  cattle 
and  lumber,  he  gave  orders  to  fire  upon  them  with  the 
chase- guns  to  disturb  them  in  their  work  and  prevent 
them  from  completing  it,  though  his  general  directions 
had  been  not  to  engage  before  they  were  within 
pistol-shot.  The  galleon  returned  the  fire  with  two  of 
her  stern-chasers  ;  and  the  '  Centurion  '  getting  her 
spritsail-yard  fore  and  aft,  that  if  necessary  she  might 
be  ready  for  boarding,  the  Spaniards  in  a  bravado 
rigged  their  spritsail-yard  fore  and  aft  likewise.  Soon 
after  the  '  Centurion  '  came  abreast  of  the  enemy 
within  pistol-shot,  keeping  to  the  leeward  of  them  with 
a  view  of  preventing  their  putting  before  the  wind 
and  gaining  the  port  of  Jalapay,  from  which  they 
were  about  seven  leagues  distant. 

And  now  the  engagement  began  in  earnest,  and 


FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 


for  the  first  half-hour  Mr.  Anson  over-reached  the 
galleon  and  lay  on  her  bow,  where  by  the  great  wide- 
ness  of  his  ports  he  could  traverse  almost  all  his 
guns  upon  the  enemy,  whilst  the  galleon  could  only 
bring  a  part  of  hers  to  bear.  Immediately  on  the 
commencement  of  the  action  the  mats  with  which 
the  galleon  had  stuffed  her  netting  took  fire  and 
burnt  violently,  blazing  up  half  as  high  as  the  mizzen- 
top.  This  accident,  supposed  to  be  caused  by  the 
'Centurion's'  wads,  threw  the  enemy  into  the  utmost 
terror,  and  also  alarmed  the  Commodore,  for  he 
feared  lest  the  galleon  should  be  burnt,  and  lest  he 
himself  too  might  suffer  by  her  driving  on  board 
him.  However,  the  Spaniards  at  last  freed  them- 
selves from  the  fire  by  cutting  away  the  netting  and 
tumbling  the  whole  mass  which  was  in  flames  into 
the  sea.  All  this  interval  the  '  Centurion '  kept  her 
first  advantageous  position,  firing  her  cannon  with 
great  regularity  and  briskness  ;  whilst  at  the  same 
time  the  galleon's  decks  lay  open  to  her  top-men, 
who,  having  at  their  first  volley  driven  the  Spaniards 
from  their  tops,  made  prodigious  havoc  with  their 
small  arms,  killing  or  wounding  every  officer  but  one 
that  appeared  on  the  quarter-deck,  and  wounding  in 
particular  the  general  of  the  galleon  himself. 

Thus  the  action  proceeded  for  at  least  half-an- 
hour  ;  but  then  the  '  Centurion '  lost  the  superiority 
arising  from  her  original  situation,  and  was  close 
alongside  the  galleon,  and  the  enemy  continued  to 


TAKING   OF  THE  MANILLA    GALLEON.    289 

fire  briskly  for  near  an  hour  longer  ;  yet  even  in  this 
posture  the  Commodore's  grape-shot  swept  their 
decks  so  effectually,  and  the  number  of  their  slain 
and  wounded  became  so  considerable,  that  they 
began  to  fall  into  great  disorder,  especially  as  the 
general,  who  was  the  life  of  the  action,  was  no  longer 
capable  of  exerting  himself.  Their  confusion  was 
visible  from  on  board  the  Commodore's  ship,  for 
they  were  so  near  that  some  of  the  Spanish  officers 
were  seen  running  about  with  much  assiduity  to 
prevent  the  desertion  of  their  men  from  their  quarters. 
But  all  their  endeavours  were  in  vain,  for  after  having 
as  a  last  effort  fired  five  or  six  guns  with  more  judg- 
ment than  usual,  they  yielded  up  the  contest,  and 
the  galleon's  colours  being  singed  off  the  ensign  staff 
in  the  beginning  of  the  engagement,  she  struck  the 
standard  at  her  maintop-gallant  mast-head,  the  person 
who  was  employed  to  perform  this  office  having  been 
in  imminent  peril  of  being  killed,  had  not  the  Com- 
modore, who  perceived  what  he  was  about,  given 
express  orders  to  his  people  to  desist  from  firing. 

Thus  was  the  *  Centurion  '  possessed  of  this  rich 
prize,  amounting  in  value  to  near  a  million  and  a 
half  of  dollars.  She  was  called  the  '  Nuestra  Seiiora 
del  Caba  Donga,'  and  was  commanded  by  Admiral 
Don  Geronimo  Montero,  a  Portuguese,  who  was  the 
most  approved  officer  for  skill  and  courage  of  any 
employed  in  that  service.  The  galleon  was  much 
larger   than    the  !  Centurion,'  and  had  five  hundred 

19 


29o  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

and  fifty  men,  and  thirty-six  guns  mounted  for 
action,  besides  twenty-eight  pedereros  in  her  gun- 
wale, quarters,  and  tops,  each  of  which  carried  a 
four-pound  ball.  She  was  very  well  furnished  with 
small  arms,  and  was  particularly  provided  against 
boarding,  both  by  her  close  quarters  and  by  a  strong 
network  of  two-inch  rope,  which  was  laced  over  her 
waist  and  was  defended  by  half-pikes.  She  had 
sixty-seven  killed  in  the  action,  and  eighty-four 
wounded,  whilst  the  '  Centurion '  had  only  two 
killed  and  a  lieutenant  and  sixteen  wounded,  all  of 
whom  but  one  recovered,  of  so  little  consequence 
are  the  most  destructive  arms  in  untutored  and 
unpractised  hands. 

The  Commodore  appointed  the  Manilla  vessel 
to  be  a  post  ship  in  His  Majesty's  service,  and  gave 
the  command  of  her  to  Mr.  Saumarez,  his  first 
lieutenant,  who  before  night  sent  on  board  the 
1  Centurion '  all  the  Spanish  prisoners  except  such 
as  were  thought  the  most  proper  to  be  retained 
to  assist  in  navigating  the  galleon.  And  now  the 
Commodore  learnt  from  some  of  these  prisoners  that 
the  other  ship,  which  he  had  kept  in  the  port  of 
Acapulco  the  preceding  year,  instead  of  returning 
in  company  with  the  present  prize,  as  was  expected, 
had  set  sail  from  Acapulco  alone  much  sooner  than 
usual,  and  had,  in  all  probability,  got  into  the  port 
of  Manilla  long  before  the  '  Centurion  '  arrived  off 
Cape  Espirito  Santo  ;  so  that  Mr.  Anson,  notwith- 


TAKING   OF  THE  MANILLA    GALLEON.    291 

standing  his  present  success,  had  great  reason  to 
regret  his  loss  of  time  at  Macao,  which  prevented  him 
from  taking  two  rich  prizes  instead  of  one. 

The  joy  on  taking  the  ship  was  very  nearly 
being  destroyed  by  an  alarming  occurrence.  No 
sooner  had  the  galleon  struck  than  one  of  the 
lieutenants  hastened  to  the  Commodore,  apparently 
to  congratulate  him  on  the  prize,  but  really  to 
whisper  in  his  ear  that  the  '  Centurion '  was 
dangerously  on  fire  near  the  powder-room  !  The 
Commodore  repressed  every  semblance  of  emotion, 
and,  taking  care  not  to  alarm  his  people,  gave  the 
necessary  orders  for  extinguishing  the  fire  ;  which 
happily  was  effected  in  a  short  time,  though  at  first 
the  affair  seemed  terrible.  Some  cartridges  had 
been  accidentally  blown  up  between  decks,  and  the 
blast  had  set  light  to  a  quantity  of  oakum  in  the 
after  hatchway,  near  the  powder-room,  when  the 
great  smoke  of  the  oakum  gave  apprehension  of  a 
most  extensive  conflagration.  The  position  was  the 
more  critical  that  there  was  no  hope  of  escaping 
on  board  the  prize,  for  the  galleon  at  the  same 
moment  fell  on  board  the  '  Centurion '  on  the 
star-board  quarter,  though  she  was  fortunately 
cleared  without  doing  or  receiving  any  serious 
damage.  But  the  incident  altogether  was  alarming, 
and  the  narrow  escape  from  fire  afterwards  in- 
creased the  joy  and  the  thankfulness  for  success  in 
the  engagement. 


292  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

Having  got  possession  of  the  long-coveted  prize, 
the  Commodore  had  now  most  important  matters 
to  settle.  He  was  at  once  resolved  to  make  his 
way  with  the  prize  to  the  river  of  Canton,  but  first 
he  had  to  be  employed  in  securing  his  numerous 
prisoners,  and  removing  the  treasure  from  the  galleon 
to  his  own  ship.  This  last  was  a  necessary  pro- 
ceeding, for  the  navigation  to  Canton  at  this  season 
was  but  little  known,  and  if  tempestuous  weather 
came  the  '  Centurion  '  was  better  provided  against 
casualties  of  winds  and  seas  than  the  disabled 
galleon.  Then  also  the  securing  of  the  prisoners  was 
a  matter  of  immediate  necessity,  for  on  this  depended 
not  only  the  possession  of  the  treasure  but  the  lives 
of  the  captors.  The  prisoners  were  double  the  num- 
ber of  his  own  people,  and  some  of  them,  when 
first  brought  on  board  the  '  Centurion,'  observing 
how  slenderly  she  was  manned,  and  the  large  pro- 
portion of  striplings  in  the  crew,  expressed  them- 
selves with  no  slight  indignation  at  being  thus  beaten 
by  a  handful  of  boys. 

The  Commodore  thus  managed  the  securing  of 
the  prisoners.  He  placed  all  but  the  officers  and 
the  wounded  in  the  '  Centurion  '  hold,  leaving  open 
two  hatchways  for  ventilation,  and  he  erected  over 
each  hatchway  a  boarded  funnel-like  planking,  seven 
or  eight  feet  high,  which  it  would  be  difficult  for 
any  of  the  prisoners  to  clamber  up.  Then  he  placed 
at  the  mouth  of  each  of  these  funnels,  or  ventilating 


TAKING   OF  THE  MANILLA    GALLEON     293 

shafts,  four  swivel  guns,  loaded  with  musket-bullets, 
with  a  sentinel  posted  at  each,  having  a  lighted 
match  ready  to  fire  into  the  hold  in  case  of  any 
disturbance  or  attempt  to  get  out.  The  officers, 
seventeen  or  eighteen  in  number,  were  all  lodged 
in  the  first  lieutenant's  cabin  under  a  guard  of  six 
armed  men  ;  and  the  general,  as  he  was  wounded, 
lay  in  the  Commodore's  cabin,  always  with  a  sentry 
beside  him.  Every  prisoner  was  sufficiently  warned 
that  any  disturbance  or  violence  would  be  punished 
with  instant  death.  The  small  arms  of  the  ship 
were  kept  in  a  proper  place,  all  loaded,  in  case  of 
any  attempted  rising  ;  while  every  man  went  about 
armed  with  pistol  and  cutlass  ;  and  no  officer  ever 
took  off  his  clothes  when  he  slept,  and,  when  he  lay 
down  to  rest,  had  always  his  weapon  within  reach. 
These  precautions  were  absolutely  necessary  under 
the  circumstances,  although  the  Commodore  com- 
miserated the  condition  of  so  many  prisoners,  in 
the  hot  noisome  hold,  and  with  water  and  food 
allowed  only  enough  to  keep  them  alive,  the  crew 
themselves  being  on  short  allowance.  All  things 
considered,  it  was  wonderful  that  not  a  man  died 
during  the  long  confinement  of  nearly  a  month, 
except  three  who  had  been  dangerously  wounded. 
They  were  certainly  in  a  pitiable  condition  when 
they  did  get  released  from  their  confinement,  almost 
all  having  been  in  robust  health  when  taken,  whereas 
they  looked  like  a  band  of  spectres   and   skeletons 


294  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

when  they  were  discharged  in  the  river  of  Canton, 
when  the   '  Centurion '  got  there. 

The  Commodore's  course  back  to  China  was  by 
Cape  Delangano,  the  Bashee  Islands,  and  Supata, 
the  westernmost  of  the  Lima  Islands.  On  the 
1 1  th,  having  taken  on  board  two  Chinese  pilots, 
one  for  the  '  Centurion '  and  the  other  for  the  prize, 
they  came  to  anchor  off  the  city  of  Macao.  During 
the  voyage  the  particulars  of  the  cargo  of  the  galleon 
were  accurately  ascertained,  and  it  was  found  that 
she  had  on  board  1,313,843  pieces  of  eight,  and 
35,682  ozs.  of  virgin  silver,  besides  some  cochineal 
and  other  commodities,  of  trifling  value  compared 
with  the  specie.  This  being  the  last  prize  taken, 
it  is  estimated  that  the  total  treasure  taken  by  the 
1  Centurion '  was  not  short  of  £400,000  sterling, 
independent  of  the  ships  and  merchandise  burnt  or 
destroyed,  which  could  not  be  less  than  the  value 
of  £600,000,  so  that  the  direct  damage  to  Spain 
done  by  the  squadron  was  doubtless  above  a  million 
sterling.  If  we  add  to  this  the  great  cost  incurred 
in  fitting  out  the  squadron  of  Admiral  Pizarro,  and 
the  expenses  and  losses  in  America,  as  well  as  of 
the  ships  of  war,  the  expedition  of  Anson,  notwith- 
standing its  many  disasters,  did  much  to  lessen 
the  power  of  Spain  and  to  enlarge  the  power  of 
England. 


CHAPTER    XXXII. 

PROCEEDINGS  IN  THE  RIVER  OF  CANTON 

*  I  ^HE  Commodore  proceeded  with  his  prizes  for 
-■-  the  river  of  Canton,  and  on  the  14th  of  July- 
cast  anchor  short  of  the  Bocca  Tigris,  a  narrow 
passage  forming  the  mouth  of  the  river,  intending 
on  the  following  day  to  run  up  as  far  as  Tiger 
Island,  a  safe  road,  secured  from  all  winds.  While 
thus  at  anchor  at  the  Bocca  Tigris,  a  boat,  with  an 
officer,  was  sent  off  by  the  Mandarin  in  command 
of  the  forts  at  Bocca  Tigris,  to  ascertain  what  the 
ships  were  and  whence  they  came.  The  Commo- 
dore informed  the  officer  that  his  own  ship  was  a 
man-of-war  belonging  to  the  King  of  Great  Britain, 
and  that  the  other  was  a  prize  he  had  taken  ;  that 
he  was  going  into  Canton  River  to  shelter  himself 
against  the  hurricanes  then  expected  ;  and  that  as 
soon  as  the  monsoon  shifted  he  should  set  sail  for 
England.  The  officer  then  desired  an  account  of 
what  men,  guns,  and  ammunition  were  on  board,  a 
list  of  all  which,  he  said,  was  to  be  sent  to  the 
Governor  of  Canton.  When  he  was  told  that 
there  were  on  board  the  '  Centurion  '  four  hundred 


296  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

fire-locks,  and  between  three  and  four  hundred 
barrels  of  gunpowder,  he  shrugged  his  shoulders,  as 
if  terrified  by  the  bare  recital ;  and  then  said  that 
no  ships  ever  came  into  Canton  river  armed  in  that 
manner,  and  that  he  dared  not  put  all  this  in  his 
list,  lest  it  should  too  much  alarm  the  Government. 
Having  finished  his  inquiries,  and  about  to  depart, 
he  desired  to  leave  two  custom-house  officers  behind 
him.  The  Commodore  told  him  that  though  as  a 
man-of-war  they  were  not  trading,  and  had  nothing 
to  do  with  port  duties  or  customs  of  any  kind,  yet, 
for  the  satisfaction  of  the  Chinese,  he  would  permit 
two  of  their  people  to  be  left  on  board,  who  might 
themselves  be  witnesses  how  punctually  he  should 
comply  with  instructions.  The  officer  seemed 
amazed  at  the  claim  of  being  exempt  from  all 
duties,  and  said  that  the  Emperor's  dues  must  be 
paid  by  every  ship  that  comes  into  his  ports. 

It  was  supposed  that  private  directions  were  given 
by  the  officer  to  the  pilot  not  to  carry  the  Com- 
modore through  the  Bocca  Tigris  without  express 
orders.  This  narrow  passage  is  little  more  than  a 
musket-shot  across,  and  is  defended  by  forts  mount- 
ing cannon,  which,  although  sufficient  for  barring 
the  passage  to  ordinary  merchant-ships,  could  not 
have  hindered  a  man-of-war,  if  disposed  to  force  its 
way,  as  the  Commodore  was  on  this  occasion.  As 
it  was  necessary  to  get  through  without  delay,  when 
the  pilot  said  he  could  not  act  without  leave  from 


PROCEEDINGS  IN  THE  RIVER  OF  CANTON.    297 

thc  Governor,  the  Commodore  ordered  him  to  carry 
the  ship  at  once  by  the  forts,  threatening  that  if  the 
ship  ran  aground  he  would  instantly  hang  him  up 
at  the  yard-arm.  The  pilot,  under  this  threat,  took 
the  ship  through  safely,  the  forts  not  daring  to 
dispute  the  passage.  Anson's  anxiety  was  lest  the 
bad  weather  might  come  on  while  he  was  in  an 
exposed  position.  The  poor  pilot,  they  afterwards 
learned,  did  not  escape  punishment  from  his  country- 
men, for  he  was  seized  when  he  got  on  shore,  put  in 
prison,  and  rigorously  disciplined  with  the  bamboo. 
On  this  being  told  to  the  Commodore,  and  the  pilot 
appearing  with  the  scars  of  his  thrashing  still 
visible,  he  received  from  the  kind  English  captain 
such  a  sum  of  money  as  would  have  enticed  him  to 
risk  a  dozen  bastinadings. 

Nor  was  the  pilot  the  only  person  who  suffered, 
for  the  Commodore,  seeing  some  Imperial  junks 
pass  towards  Canton,  learned  that  the  Mandarin  in 
command  of  the  forts  was  on  board,  being  carried 
to  Canton  as  a  prisoner,  and  would  no  doubt  be 
severely  punished  for  allowing  the  ships  to  pass. 
The  Commodore  did  all  he  could  to  urge  the 
unreasonableness  of  the  Mandarin  being  punished, 
when  he  could  not  help  himself,  from  the  great 
superiority  of  the  ships'  guns  to  those  of  the  forts, 
but  he  never  learned  whether  his  representation  had 
any  influence  in  saving  the  poor  Mandarin  from 
disgrace  or  punishment. 


298  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

On  the  1 6th  of  July  the  Commodore  sent  his 
second  lieutenant  to  Canton,  with  a  letter  to  the 
Viceroy,  explaining  the  reasons  for  the  '  Centurion ' 
having  put  into  the  port,  and  proposing  to  repair  to 
Canton  to  pay  a  visit  to  the  Viceroy.  The  lieu- 
tenant was  very  civilly  received,  and  a  promise 
given  that  an  answer  should  be  sent  next  day.  In 
the  meantime  Anson  gave  leave  to  some  of  the 
officers  of  the  galleon  to  go  to  Canton,  on  their 
engaging  their  parole  to  return  in  two  days.  When 
these  prisoners  got  to  Canton  the  Regency  sent  for 
them,  and  inquired  how  it  was  they  got  into  the 
English  Commodore's  power.  They  had  the  honesty 
to  declare  that  as  the  Kings  of  Spain  and  of  England 
were  at  war  they  had  themselves  proposed  to  take 
the  '  Centurion,'  and  bore  down  upon  her  with  that 
intention,  but  that  the  event  had  been  contrary  to 
their  expectations.  And  being  questioned  as  to 
their  treatment  on  board  the  English  Commodore's 
ship,  they  also  honestly  confessed  they  had  been 
treated  far  better  than  he  would  have  been  treated 
had  he  fallen  into  their  hands.  This  confession 
from  an  enemy  had  great  weight  with  the  Chinese, 
who  till  then,  while  respecting  the  power  of  the 
Commodore  considered  him  as  something  little 
better  than  a  pirate  and  freebooter,  rather  than  as 
one  commissioned  by  the  State  for  avenging  public 
wrongs.  He  was  greatly  raised  in  their  estimation 
by  the  report  of  the  Spanish  prisoners,  and  doubtless 


PROCEEDINGS  IN  THE  RIVER  OF  CANTON   299 

the  greatness  of  the  treasure  he  had  obtained  served 
to  exalt  him  the  more  in  the  eyes  of  the  money- 
loving  Chinese. 

Two  things  still  puzzled  the  Chinese  in  their 
questioning  the  Spaniards.  They  could  not  under- 
stand how  so  much  larger  and  stronger  a  ship  could 
have  been  captured  by  one  with  fewer  men  and  of 
smaller  size  ;  and  then,  they  could  not  understand 
why,  when  the  two  nations  were  at  war,  they,  as 
prisoners,  had  not  been  put  to  death.  To  the  first 
of  their  difficulties  the  Spaniards  answered  that, 
though  their  ship  was  largest,  it  was  not  so  powerful 
as  one  which  was  expressly  built  for  fighting  and 
not  for  trading;  and  as  to  the  second  question, 
it  was  not  customary  among  European  nations  to 
kill  those  who  submitted  themselves  and  became 
prisoners  of  war  ;  adding  that  besides  this  general 
usage,  the  Commodore  from  his  natural  disposition 
treated  them,  and  also  others  of  their  countrymen 
who  had  previously  fallen  into  his  power,  with  a 
courtesy  and  kindness  beyond  what  was  always 
shown  according  to  the  usages  of  European  nations. 
The  replies  completely  satisfied  the  Chinese,  and 
at  the  same  time  wrought  very  strongly  in  the 
Commodore's  favour. 

On  the  20th  of  July,  in  the  morning,  three  Man- 
darins, with  a  great  number  of  boats  and  a  vast 
retinue,  came  on  board  the  '  Centurion,'  and  delivered 
to  the  Commodore  the  Viceroy  of  Canton's  reply  to 


300  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

his  letter,  and  also  permission  to  carry  the  ship  up 
the  river  as  far  as  the  second  bar  ;  orders  being  at 
the  same  time  given  for  a  daily  supply  of  provisions. 
The  substance  of  the  letter  was  that  the  Viceroy 
desired  to  be  excused  from  receiving  the  Commo- 
dore's visit  during  the  present  excessively  hot  weather, 
because  the  assembling  of  the  Mandarins,  soldiers, 
and  attendants,  necessary  to  that  ceremony,  would 
prove  extremely  inconvenient  and  fatiguing  ;  but  in 
September,  when  the  weather  was  more  temperate, 
he  should  be  glad  to  see  the  Commodore,  and  the 
captain  of  the  other  ship  that  was  with  him.  The 
Commodore  knew  that  an  express  had  been  de- 
spatched to  the  court  at  Pekin,  with  an  account  of 
the  arrival  at  Canton  of  the  '  Centurion '  and  her 
prize  ;  and  he  therefore  had  no  doubt  that  the 
politely  expressed  delay  was  the  chief  motive  for 
postponing  the  reception  of  the  visit,  so  that  the 
Regency  at  Canton  might  gain  time  to  get  instruc- 
tions from  the  Emperor's  council  about  their  beha- 
viour in  this  unusual  affair. 

When  the  Mandarins  had  delivered  this  message 
they  began  to  talk  about  the  duties  to  be  paid  by 
the  ships  ;  but  the  Commodore  at  once  told  them 
firmly  that  he  would  submit  to  no  demand  of  that 
kind  ;  that  he  had  brought  no  merchandise  thither, 
and  intended  to  carry  none  away  ;  that  the  imposts 
only  applied  to  trading  vessels  ;  and  that  it  was 
against   the   usages  of  his  nation,  and   against  the 


PROCEEDINGS  IN  THE  RIVER  OF  CANTON.   301 

express  orders  of  his  master  the  King  of  England, 
to  pay  any  acknowledgment  for  his  ships  anchoring 
in  any  port  whatever. 

The  Mandarins,  being  thus  cut  short  on  the  subject 
of  the  duties,  said  they  had  another  matter  to  men- 
tion ;  this  was  a  request  to  the  Commodore  to  release 
the  prisoners  he  had  taken  on  board  the  Spanish 
galleon  ;  for  the  Viceroy  of  Canton  apprehended 
that  his  master,  the  Emperor,  might  be  displeased  if 
informed  that  persons  who  belonged  to  a  nation 
friendly  with  China,  and  carrying  on  a  great  com- 
merce with  his  subjects,  should  be  confined  as 
prisoners  in  his  dominions. 

The  Commodore  heard  this  request  with  much 
satisfaction,  though  he  was  politic  enough  not  to 
show  it.  He  had  already  been  troubled  as  to  how 
to  get  rid  of  his  prisoners,  who  on  many  accounts 
were  a  burden  and  encumbrance  to  him.  He  had 
sent  a  hundred  of  them  to  Macao,  and  he  was  glad 
that  the  remaining  four  hundred  could  be  set  at 
liberty.  However,  to  appear  to  be  enhancing  the 
favour  he  was  asked  to  perform,  he  raised  some 
difficulties  at  first ;  and  then  said  that  in  his  wish  to 
oblige  the  Viceroy  he  would  set  them  all  free,  and 
would  release  them  unconditionally  as  soon  as  the 
Chinese  sent  boats  to  fetch  them  off.  This  matter 
adjusted  the  Mandarins  departed,  and  on  the  28th 
of  July  two  large  junks  were  sent  to  take  on  board 
the    prisoners    and    carry    them    to    Macao.       The 


302  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

Commodore,  according  to  his  promise,  set  them  all 
free,  and  directed  his  purser  to  allow  them  eight 
days'  provisions  for  their  subsistence  during  their 
sailing  down  the  river  ;  for,  before  they  were  des- 
patched, the  '  Centurion  '  had  arrived  at  her  moor- 
ings above  the  second  bar,  where  she  and  her  prize 
proposed  to  continue  till  the  monsoon  shifted. 

Though  the  ships,  in  consequence  of  the  Viceroy's 
permit,  found  no  difficulty  in  purchasing  provisions 
for  their  daily  consumption,  yet  it  was  impossible 
for  the  Commodore  to  proceed  to  England  without 
laying  in  a  large  quantity  both  of  provisions  and 
naval  stores  for  his  use  during  the  voyage.  The 
procuring  this  supply  was  attended  with  much 
perplexity  ;  for  there  were  people  at  Canton  who  had 
undertaken  to  furnish  him  with  biscuit  and  what- 
ever else  he  wanted  ;  and  his  interpreter,  toward  the 
middle  of  September,  had  assured  him  from  day  to 
day  that  all  was  ready  and  would  be  sent  on  board 
immediately.  But  a  fortnight  having  elapsed  and 
nothing  brought,  the  Commodore  sent  to  Canton  to 
inquire  more  particularly  about  this  disappointment  ; 
and  he  soon  had  the  vexation  of  learning  that  the 
whole  was  a  sham  and  illusion  ;  that  no  order  had 
been  procured  from  the  Viceroy  to  furnish  him  with 
sea  stores,  as  was  pretended  ;  that  no  biscuit  had 
been  baked,  nor  any  one  of  the  articles  in  readiness 
that  had  been  promised  ;  nor  did  it  appear  that  the 
contractors  had  taken  the  least  step  towards  com- 


PROCEEDINGS  IN  THE  RIVER  OF  CANTON   303 

plying  with  their  engagement.  This  was  most 
disagreeable  news,  and  made  it  suspected  that  the 
furnishing  the  '  Centurion  •  for  her  return  to  England 
might  form  a  more  troublesome  matter  than  had 
been  hitherto  imagined  ;  especially  as  the  month  of 
September  was  nearly  ended  without  any  message 
coming  from  the  Viceroy  of  Canton. 

Finding  that  those  who  had  promised  and  contracted 
to  supply  him  with  sea  provisions  had  deceived 
him,  the  Commodore,  towards  the  end  of  September, 
resolved  to  make  another  attempt  to  visit  the  Viceroy. 
He  therefore,  on  the  27th  of  September,  sent  a  mes- 
sage to  the  Mandarins  who  attended  the  '  Centurion  ' 
that  he  intended,  on  the  1st  of  October,  to  proceed  in 
his  boat  to  Canton  ;  adding  that  the  day  after  his 
arrival  he  should  notify  the  same  to  the  Viceroy, 
and  desire  him  to  fix  a  time  for  his  audience.  The 
Mandarin  merely  said  that  he  would  acquaint  the 
Viceroy  with  the  Commodore's  intentions.  In  the 
meantime  all  things  were  prepared  for  this  expedi- 
tion, and  the  boat's  crew  which  the  Commodore 
proposed  to  take  with  him  were  clothed  in  an  uni- 
form dress,  resembling  that  of  Thames  watermen. 
They  were  in  number  eighteen,  and  a  coxswain  ; 
they  had  scarlet  jackets  and  blue  silk  waistcoats, 
the  whole  trimmed  with  silver  buttons,  besides  silver 
badges  on  their  jackets  and  caps. 

As  it  was  apprehended,  and  even  asserted,  that  the 
payment  of  the  customary  duties  for  the  '  Centurion  ' 


304  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

and  her  prize  would  be  demanded  and  insisted  on  pre- 
vious to  a  permission  being  granted  to  victual  the 
ship  for  her  future  voyage,  the  Commodore,  being 
determined  not  to  establish  so  dishonourable  a  pre- 
cedent, took  all  possible  precaution  to  prevent  the 
Chinese  from  facilitating  their  pretensions  by  having 
him  in  their  power  at  Canton.  Therefore,  in  order 
the  better  to  secure  his  ship  and  the  great  treasure 
on  board  her  against  their  projects,  he  appointed 
his  first  lieutenant,  Mr.  Brett,  to  be  captain  of  the 
'  Centurion '  under  him  ;  and  he  instructed  him  that 
if  he,  the  Commodore,  should  be  detained  at  Canton 
on  account  of  the  duties  in  dispute  he  was  to  take 
the  men  out  of  the  prize  and  destroy  her,  and  then 
to  proceed  down  the  river  through  the  Bocca  Tigris 
with  the  '  Centurion '  alone,  and  to  remain  outside 
that  entrance  till  he  received  further  orders. 

These  necessary  steps  being  taken  and  made 
known,  it  seemed  as  if  the  schemes  of  the  Chinese 
were  thrown  into  confusion.  They  were  not  willing 
to  forego  the  claims  on  which  they  had  so  often  and 
firmly  insisted,  yet  they  were  unwilling  to  resort  to 
violence,  without  which  they  could  not  effect  their 
object.  There  was  risk  of  their  violence  being  met 
with  force,  and  so  risk  of  the  whole  navigation  of  their 
port  being  destroyed  without  the  certainty  of  gaining 
the  point  at  issue.  They  continued  their  system  of 
evasion  and  procrastination.  A  letter  came  from 
the  Mandarin,  purporting  to  say  that  the  Viceroy 


PROCEEDINGS  IN  THE  RIVER  OF  CANTON  305 

requested  a  few  days'  delay  in  the  proposed  visit. 
It  turned  out  that  this  letter  was  a  forgery  or  pre- 
tence ;  and  it  further  appeared  that  the  Chinese 
merchants  of  Canton  were  involved  in  the  treacher- 
ous proceeding.  Three  days  afterwards  a  letter 
came,  signed  by  all  the  captains  and  supercargoes  of 
the  European  ships,  expressing  fear  that  insult  and 
violence  might  be  offered  to  the  Commodore's  boat 
and  men.  To  this  the  Commodore  replied  that  he 
would  certainly  come  up  to  Canton  on  the  1 3th  of 
October,  confident  that  if  the  Chinese  offered  any 
insult  he  should  not  want  the  power  or  the  inclination 
to  make  them  a  proper  return. 

Accordingly,  on  the  13th  of  October,  Anson, 
continuing  firm  in  his  purpose,  proceeded  towards 
Canton,  all  the  supercargoes  of  the  English,  Danish, 
and  Swedish  ships  coming  on  board  the  '  Centurion,' 
and  thence  in  their  own  boats  attending  the  Commo- 
dore's barge.  As  he  passed  by  Wampo,  where  the 
European  vessels  lay,  he  was  saluted  by  all  the 
ships  except  the  French,  and  in  the  evening  he 
arrived  safely  at  Canton. 


20 


CHAPTER    XXXIII. 

PROCEEDINGS  AT  CANTON  AND  DEPARTURE 
FOR  ENGLAND. 

/"^VN  arriving  at  Canton  the  Commodore  was  visited 
^-^  by  the  principal  Chinese  merchants,  who 
affected  to  appear  very  much  pleased  that  he  had 
met  with  no  obstruction  in  getting  thither.  They 
said  that  as  soon  as  the  Viceroy  should  be  informed 
of  his  arrival,  which  they  promised  should  be  the 
next  morning,  they  were  persuaded  a  time  would 
be  immediately  appointed  for  the  visit,  which  was 
the  chief  business  for  which  the  Commodore  had 
come. 

Next  day  the  merchants  returned  to  the  Com- 
modore, and  told  him  that  the  Viceroy  was  then 
so  fully  employed  in  preparing  his  despatches  for 
Pekin  that  there  was  no  getting  admittance  to  him 
at  present,  but  they  had  engaged  one  of  the  officers 
of  his  court  to  inform  them  when  the  Viceroy  would 
be  at  leisure  for  this  affair.  The  Commodore  was 
pretty  certain  that  all  this  was  false,  and  if  he  had 
acted  on  his  own  judgment  he  would  at  once 
have    sought   some  other  way   of  applying   to   the 


DEPARTURE  FOR  ENGLAND.  30; 


Viceroy.  But  the  crafty  Chinese  merchants  had 
contrived  to  fill  the  minds  of  the  European  super- 
cargoes and  captains  of  vessels,  that  they  might 
get  embroiled  with  the  government  if  steps  were 
taken  towards  seeking  access  to  the  Viceroy  other- 
wise than  through  them. 

The  Commodore  therefore,  in  case  of  any  sinister 
incident  occurring,  which  might  in  malice  be  after- 
wards ascribed  to  his  action,  was  content  to  remain 
passive  ;  and  he  engaged  to  the  Chinese  merchants 
that  he  would  not  take  any  step  for  the  present  to 
get  access  to  the  Viceroy,  provided  the  Chinese  who 
had  contracted  to  furnish  his  provisions  would  let 
him  see  that  biscuit  was  baked,  meat  salted,  and 
stores  prepared  with  the  utmost  dispatch.  This 
might  possibly  occupy  forty  days,  and  if  at  the  end 
of  that  time  all  was  not  ready  for  being  shipped  off, 
then  the  Commodore  was  determined  to  apply  to 
the  Viceroy  himself.  This  was  the  way  in  which  he 
sought  to  quiet  the  uneasiness  of  the  supercargoes 
and  notwithstanding  the  equity  and  reasonableness 
of  the  arrangement,  the  Chinese  merchants  urged 
various  objections,  nor  would  they  agree  to  the  pro- 
posal till  they  obtained  promise  of  payment  for 
every  article  before  being  put  in  hand.  However, 
there  was  some  satisfaction  in  knowing  that  at  last 
preparations  were  commenced,  and  his  presence  in 
the  city  would  hasten  them  as  far  as  possible. 

During  this   interval  of  forty  days  the  merchants 


3o3  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

continually  entertained  the  Commodore  with  ac- 
'  counts  of  their  various  endeavours  to  procure  the 
Viceroy's  license,  and  their  disappointments  hitherto  ; 
but  the  Commodore  knew  them  too  well  to  suppose 
anything  but  that  these  were  mere  falsehoods.  When 
all  was  complete,  and  ready  to  be  shipped,  about  the 
24th  of  November,  the  Commodore  determined  to 
demand  an  audience  with  the  Viceroy,  knowing  that 
without  this  ceremony  the  grant  of  a  permit  to  take 
his  sea  stores  on  board  would  be  attended  with 
delay  and  difficulty.  On  that  day,  therefore,  he  sent 
one  of  his  officers  to  the  Mandarin  commanding  the 
guard  of  the  principal  gate  of  the  city  of  Canton 
with  a  letter  directed  to  the  Viceroy.  This  letter 
was  delivered  to  the  Mandarin,  who  received  the 
officer  very  civilly,  and  took  down  the  contents  of 
it  in  Chinese,  and  promised  that  the  Viceroy  should 
be  immediately  acquainted  with  it,  but  told  the 
officer  it  was  not  necessary  for  him  to  wait  for  a 
reply,  which  would  be  sent  to  the  Commodore  him- 
self. In  preparing  this  letter  the  Commodore,  not 
trusting  the  professional  interpreters  or  linguists,  had 
obtained  the  good  services  of  an  English  gentleman, 
Mr.  Flint,  belonging  to  the  factory,  who  spoke  and 
wrote  Chinese  with  perfect  skill,  having  been  in 
Canton  since  his  early  boyhood.  He  went  to  the 
Mandarin  along  with  the  officer  carrying  the  letter. 

Two  days  after  this  a  fire  broke  out  in  the  suburbs 
of  the  city.     On  the  first  alarm  the  Commodore  went 


DEPARTURE  FOR  ENGLAND.  309 

with  his  officers  and  boat's  crew  to  aid  the  Chinese. 
He  speedily  saw  that  by  pulling  down  some  sheds 
and  small  tenements  the  progress  of  the  flames, 
which  were  rapidly  spreading,  might  be  arrested. 
He  was  told,  however,  on  commencing  this  obviously 
effective  operation,  that  he  was  acting  on  his  own 
peril,  and  as  there  was  no  Mandarin  on  the  spot 
who  alone  could  give  orders  on  such  occasions,  he 
would  be  held  responsible  for  whatever  was  pulled 
down  by  his  command.  The  Commodore  thought 
it  prudent  to  desist,  and  ordered  his  men  to  go  to 
the  English  factory,  and  there  assist  in  securing  the 
East  India  Company's  treasure  and  effects,  as  it  was 
easy  to  see  that  no  distance  was  protection  against 
the  rage  of  such  a  fire  when  so  little  was  done  to 
stay  its  progress. 

At  length  a  Mandarin  came  out  of  the  city, 
attended  by  four  or  five  hundred  firemen.  They 
made  some  feeble  attempts  to  pull  down  neighbour- 
ing houses,  but  by  this  time  the  fire  had  greatly 
extended,  and  had  got  among  the  merchants'  stores 
and  warehouses.  The  Chinese  firemen  showed  no 
skill  or  spirit,  and  there  was  every  prospect  of  the 
whole  city  being  burned  down  if  the  conflagration 
could  not  be  checked. 

In  the  general  excitement  the  Viceroy  himself 
came,  and  having  heard  of  the  exertions  of  the 
English  sailors,  he  sent  to  the  Commodore,  entreat- 
ing   him     to     render    assistance,    and     authorising 


3io  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

him  to  take  any  steps  he  thought  expedient  in  the 
emergency.  Upon  this  the  Commodore,  at  the  head 
of  about  forty  Englishmen,  in  the  sight  of  the 
Viceroy  and  the  chief  people  of  the  city,  exerted 
themselves  after  so  extraordinary  a  manner  as  was 
in  that  country  without  example.  The  agility  and 
boldness  of  the  sailors  produced  amazement.  By 
their  resolution  and  activity  the  fire  was  soon  got 
under  command,  and  the  spread  of  the  conflagration 
prevented.  The  buildings  being  mostly  low  and 
of  very  slight  materials,  the  sailors  escaped  with  no 
other  injuries  than  burns  and  bruises. 

The  fire,  though  thus  happily  extinguished,  had 
done  great  damage  during  the  time  it  raged,  for 
it  consumed  a  hundred  shops  and  eleven  streets  full 
of  warehouses,  the  damage  amounting  to  an  im- 
mense sum.  One  of  the  warehouses  had  a  large 
stock  of  camphor,  the  white  flames  of  which  blazed 
up  into  the  air  to  so  prodigious  a  height  that  the 
light  was  seen  on  board  the  '  Centurion,'  though  she 
was  at  least  thirty  miles  distant. 

While  the  Commodore  and  his  people  were  still 
labouring  at  the  fire,  and  the  terror  of  it  possessed 
the  whole  city,  some  of  the  most  considerable 
merchants  came  with  a  request  that  they  might 
each  have  one  of  the  Commodore's  soldiers  (for 
so  they  styled  the  boat's  crew,  from  the  uniformity 
of  their  dress),  to  guard  their  houses  and  ware- 
houses, fearing    that    the  rascal   mob  would   begin 


DEPARTURE  FOR  ENGLAND.  311 

to  pillage  in  the  tumult.  This  request  was  granted, 
and  the  men  thus  furnished  behaved  with  so  much 
attention  that  the  merchants  afterward  expressed 
their  gratitude  for  their  diligence  and  fidelity. 

The  resolute  conduct  of  the  English  in  mastering 
the  fire,  and  their  trusty  and  prudent  behaviour 
when  acting  as  protectors  of  the  houses,  became 
the  general  subject  of  conversation  among  the 
Chinese.  Next  morning  many  of  the  chief  inhabit- 
ants waited  on  the  Commodore  to  thank  him  for 
his  aid,  and  owned  frankly  that  but  for  his  help 
the  fire  never  would  have  been  extinguished.  Soon 
after,  a  message  came  from  the  Viceroy,  appointing 
the  30th  of  November  for  his  audience,  which 
sudden  resolution  by  the  Viceroy  in  a  matter  that 
had  so  long  been  in  vain  agitated  was  now  due 
to  the  signal  services  performed  by  Anson  and  his 
people  at  the  fire,  of  which  the  Viceroy  himself  had 
been  to  some  extent  an  eye-witness. 

The  fixing  this  business  of  the  audience  gave 
great  satisfaction  to  the  Commodore,  for  he  felt 
persuaded  that  the  Chinese  Government  would  not 
have  made  this  appointment  without  being  first 
prepared  to  give  up  their  pretensions  in  the  matter 
of  the  duties  claimed,  and  being  ready  to  grant 
all  reasonable  requests.  The  Commodore  made 
the  necessary  preparations,  and  engaged  Mr.  Flint 
to  act  as  interpreter  in  this  affair  as  in  all  others, 
being  certain  that  he  would  act  with  boldness  and 


312  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

fidelity,  such  as  could  not  be  depended  on  in  any 
Chinese  linguist. 

At  ten  in  the  morning  of  the  30th  of  November 
the  Commodore  and  his  retinue  set  out.  As  he 
entered  the  outer  gate  of  the  city  he  found  a  guard 
of  two  hundred  soldiers  ready  to  receive  him  ;  these 
attended  him  to  the  great  parade  before  the  Em- 
peror's palace,  where  the  Viceroy  resided.  In  this 
parade  a  body  of  ten  thousand  troops,  drawn  up 
under  arms,  made  an  imposing  appearance,  their 
clothing  seeming  to  be  new  for  this  occasion.  The 
Commodore  passing  through  their  midst  was  con- 
ducted to  the  great  hall  of  audience,  where  the 
Viceroy  was  seated  under  a  rich  canopy,  in  the 
Emperor's  chair  of  state,  with  all  his  council  of 
mandarins  attending.  A  vacant  seat  was  ready  for 
the  Commodore,  to  which  he  was  conducted  on  his 
entrance.  He  was  ranked  the  third  in  order  from 
the  Viceroy,  there  being  above  him  the  Chief  of  the 
Law  and  the  Chief  of  the  Treasury,  who  in  the 
Chinese  Empire  have  precedence  over  all  military 
officers.  The  Commodore  being  seated,  he  addressed 
himself  to  the  Viceroy  through  his  interpreter,  and 
began  by  reciting  the  various  methods  formerly 
taken  to  obtain  an  audience,  adding  that  he  im- 
puted the  delays  to  the  insincerity  of  those  whom 
he  employed,  and  that  therefore  he  had  no  other 
course  left  than  to  send  a  letter  by  his  own  officer 
to  the  Viceroy's  gate.     At  this  point   the  Viceroy 


DEPARTURE  FOR  ENGLAND.  313 

interrupted  the  interpreter,  and  bade  him  assure  the 
Commodore  that  the  first  knowledge  he  had  of  his 
being  at  Canton  was  through  that  letter.  The  in- 
terpreter then  proceeded,  and  said  that  the  subjects 
of  the  King  of  Great  Britain  trading  to  China  com- 
plained of  the  vexatious  impositions  both  of  the 
merchants  and  of  the  custom-house  officers,  to  which 
they  often  had  to  submit  owing  to  the  difficulty  of 
getting  access  to  the  Mandarins,  who  alone  could 
grant  them  redress  ;  that  it  was  the  duty  of  the 
Commodore,  as  an  officer  of  the  King  of  Great 
Britain,  to  lay  before  the  Viceroy  these  grievances  of 
British  subjects,  which  he  hoped  the  Viceroy  would 
take  into  consideration,  and  give  orders  that  here- 
after there  should  be  no  just  reason  for  complaint. 

Here  the  interpreter  paused,  as  the  Commodore 
ceased  to  prompt  him,  and  waited  some  time  as  if 
for  an  answer  from  the  Viceroy.  Nothing  being 
said,  the  interpreter  was  asked  if  he  thought  the 
Viceroy  understood  what  had  been  urged,  while  the 
interpreter  said  to  the  Commodore  he  was  certain 
he  was  understood,  but  he  believed  that  no  answer 
would  be  given. 

The  Commodore  then  took  the  opportunity  to 
mention  to  the  Viceroy  the  case  of  the  ship  '  Hasting- 
field,'  arrived  a  few  days  before  in  the  Canton  River, 
having  been  dismasted  on  the  Chinese  coast ;  that 
the  people  on  board  had  been  great  sufferers  by  the 
late  fire,  especially  the  captain,  who  had  all  his  goods 


3H  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

burnt,  and  who  had  lost  a  chest  of  treasure  of  four 
thousand  five  hundred  tael,  which  he  supposed  were 
stolen  by  the  Chinese  boatmen.  The  assistance  of 
the  Government  was  invoked,  as  it  was  apprehended 
the  money  would  not  be  recovered  without  the 
interposition  of  the  Mandarins.  To  this  the  Viceroy 
made  answer  that  in  settling  the  Emperor's  customs 
for  that  ship  an  abatement  would  be  made  in 
consideration  of  her  losses. 

Then  the  Commodore,  having  despatched  this 
business  entrusted  to  him  by  the  officers  of  the  East 
India  Company,  entered  on  his  own  affairs.  He 
told  the  Viceroy  that  the  time  was  come  for  his 
returning  to  Europe,  and  that  he  wanted  a 
license  to  ship  his  provisions  and  stores,  which  were 
all  ready ;  and  that  as  soon  as  this  license  was 
obtained  he  intended  to  leave  the  river  of  Canton 
and  to  make  the  best  of  his  way  to  England.  The 
Viceroy  to  this  replied  that  the  license  should  be 
immediately  issued,  and  that  everything  should  be 
ordered  on  board  on  the  following  day. 

The  Commodore  having  nothing  further  to  ask, 
the  Viceroy  took  up  the  conversation,  acknowledging 
in  very  civil  terms  the  obligation  under  which  the 
Chinese  were  for  the  signal  assistance  rendered  at 
the  time  of  the  fire,  and  concluding  by  saying  that 
as  the  '  Centurion  '  had  been  detained  long  on  their 
coast  he  wished  the  Commodore  a  prosperous 
voyage   to  Europe.     After  which  the    Commodore, 


DEPARTURE  FOR  ENGLAND.  315 

thanking  His  Excellency  for  his  civility  and  assist- 
ance, took  his  leave. 

As  soon  as  the  Commodore  left  the  hall  of 
audience  he  was  invited  to  go  into  a  neighbouring 
apartment,  where  an  entertainment  was  provided  ;  but 
on  inquiry  finding  that  the  Viceroy  would  not  be 
present  he  politely  declined,  and  took  his  departure, 
attended  in  the  same  manner  as  on  his  arrival ;  only 
on  leaving  the  city  he  was  saluted  with  three  guns, 
as  many  as  in  that  country  were  then  fired  upon 
any  ceremony. 

Thus  the  Commodore,  to  his  great  joy,  finished 
this  troublesome  affair  ;  and  what  gave  him  most 
satisfaction  was  that  he  had  gained  his  purpose  of 
not  submitting  to  the  exaction  of  duty  from  His 
Majesty's  ships  of  war  in   Chinese  ports. 

In  pursuance  of  the  orders  of  the  Viceroy  the 
provisions  began  to  be  sent  on  board  the  day  after 
the  audience,  and  in  four  days  the  Commodore 
embarked  at  Canton  to  return  to  his  ship.  All 
preparations  for  sailing  were  pushed  on  with  so 
much  vigour  that  on  the  7th  of  December  the 
'  Centurion  '  and  her  prize  stood  down  the  river, 
passing  through  the  Bocca  Tigris  on  the  10th. 
There  was  evidently  on  this  occasion  a  studious 
display  of  force  in  the  forts  on  either  side,  to  give 
the  most  favourable  idea  of  Chinese  military  power. 
On  the  parapet  of  one  of  the  forts  a  big  Goliath  of 
a  soldier  stalked  to  and  fro  with  a  battle-axe  in  his 


316  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

hand,  and  with  as  important  and  martial  an  air  as 
he  could  assume.  He  was  clad  in  steel  armour,  as  it 
appeared,  but  the  sailors  of  the  '  Centurion '  laughed 
heartily  at  the  exhibition,  and  shrewdly  suspected 
that  instead  of  steel  the  coat  of  armour  was  com- 
posed only  of  a  kind  of  glittering  paper. 

On  bidding  farewell  to  Chinese  jurisdiction  on 
leaving  the  river,  the  writer  of  the  journal  of  Anson's 
voyage  indulges  in  a  variety  of  Comments  on  Chinese 
character  and  customs.  Of  the  national  character 
he  forms  a  very  low  estimate,  and  recalls  various 
incidents  in  which  they  had  experience  of  their 
vanity,  trickiness,  and  insincerity.  Of  their  institu- 
tions, literature,  and  government  he  also  speaks 
slightingly,  affirming  that  the  Jesuit  missionaries 
had  sent  very  false  reports  to  Europe,  giving  more 
favourable  ideas  of  the  national  character  than  was 
merited.  These  statements  it  is  needless  further  to 
refer  to,  as  more  is  now  known  with  accuracy  of 
China  and  the  Chinese. 

It  only  remains  to  say  that  on  the  I2th  of 
December  the  Commodore  anchored  before  the 
town  of  Macao.  Here  the  merchants  of  the  place 
purchased  the  Spanish  galleon  for  the  sum  of  six 
thousand  dollars,  a  small  price  for  so  good  a  ship, 
but  as  they  refused  to  give  more  Anson  gladly 
accepted  the  offer,  from  his  anxiety  to  depart.  On 
the  15  th  of  December  the  ship  was  delivered  up  to 
the  merchants,  and  on  the  same  day  the  'Centurion' 


DEPARTURE  FOR  ENGLAND.  317 

got  under  sail  on  her  return  to  England.  On  the 
3rd  of  January,  1744,  she  came  to  anchor  in  the 
Straits  of  Sunda  ;  remained  there  for  wooding  and 
watering  till  the  8th,  when  she  weighed  and  stood 
for  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  where  she  anchored,  in 
Table  Bay,  on  the  nth  of  March.  Here  they 
remained  till  the  beginning  of  April,  greatly  pleased 
with  the  salubrity  of  the  place  and  the  beauty  of 
the  country,  which  they  said  was  not  disgraced  by 
comparison  with  the  valleys  of  Juan  Fernandez  and 
the  lawns  of  Tinian.  About  forty  Dutchmen  were 
entered  here,  and  on  the  3rd  of  April  they  weighed 
and  put  to  sea.  On  the  19th  of  April  they  sighted 
St.  Helena,  but  did  not  touch  there  ;  on  the  10th 
of  June  they  spoke  with  an  English  ship  bound  for 
Philadelphia,  from  whom  they  received  the  first  in- 
telligence of  a  French  war.  On  the  12th  of  June 
they  got  sight  of  the  Lizard;  and  on  the  15th, 
in  the  evening,  to  their  infinite  joy,  they  came  to 
anchor  at  Spithead.  There  Anson  learned  that  a 
French  fleet  of  considerable  force  was  cruising  in 
the  chops  of  the  Channel,  and  they  found,  from  the 
account  of  their  position,  that  the  '  Centurion  '  had 
run  safely  through  this  fleet  through  being  concealed 
by  a  fog.  This  last  escape  added  to  the  thankful 
joy  felt  on  reaching  old  England,  after  an  absence 
of  three  years  and  nine  months. 


CHAPTER    XXXIV. 

ARRIVAL  AND  RECEPTION  IN  ENGLAND. 

/^\N  the  day  following  his  arrival  at  St.  Helens 
^-^  the  Commodore  wrote  the  following  letter, 
or  despatch,  to  His  Grace  the  Duke  of  Newcastle,  the 
commission  for  the  voyage  having  been  received 
from  him,  as  Secretary  of  State,  as  well  as  from  the 
Admiralty.  It  is  dated  June  14th,  1744,  from  on 
board  His  Majesty's  ship  'Centurion': — 

'  The  south-west  monsoon  being  set  in  on  the 
coast  of  China,  before  I  had  refitted  His  Majesty's 
ship,  made  it  impossible  for  me  to  proceed  to 
Europe  till  the  month  of  October.  I  therefore 
determined,  although  I  had  not  half  my  complement 
of  men,  to  cruise  for  the  King  of  Spain's  galleon, 
which  was  expected  from  Acapulco  with  treasure 
to  Manilla.  After  having  finished  the  necessary 
repairs  of  my  ship,  on  the  18th  of  April,  I  made 
the  best  of  my  way  for  Cape  Espirito  Santo,  being 
the  land  to  the  southward  of  the  Straits  of  Manilla, 
which  shore  ships  generally  fall  in  with  ;  where 
having  cruised  thirty-one  days,  on  the  20th  of  June 


ARRIVAL  AND  RECEPTION  IN  ENGLAND.    319 

I  got  sight  of  her,  and  gave  chase,  she  bearing  down 
upon  me  before  the  wind.  When  she  came  within 
two  miles  she  brought-to  to  fight  me,  and  after 
an  engagement  of  an  hour  and  a  half,  within  less 
than  pistol  shot,  the  Admiral  struck  his  flag  at  the 
maintop  mast-head.  She  was  called  the  "  Nuestra 
Seiiora  del  Caba  Donga,"  Don  Geronimo  Montero 
Admiral  ;  had  42  guns,  17  of  which  were  brass, 
and  2  8  brass  pedereros ;  550  men,  58  of  which 
were  slain,  and  S3  wounded  ;  her  masts  and 
rigging  were  shot  to  pieces,  and  150  shot  passed 
through  her  hull,  many  of  which  were  between 
wind  and  water,  which  occasioned  her  to  be  very 
leaky.  The  greatest  damage  I  received  was  by 
my  fore-mast,  main-mast,  and  bowsprit  being 
wounded,  and  my  rigging  shot  to  pieces,  having 
received  only  1 5  shot  through  my  hull,  which 
killed  me  2  men,  and  15  wounded.  I  was  under 
great  difficulty  in  navigating  two  such  large  ships 
in  a  dangerous  and  unknown  sea,  and  in  guarding 
492  prisoners  ;  and  being  apprehensive  of  losing 
company,  I  thought  proper,  for  the  security  of  the 
galleon  and  the  great  treasure  in  her,  which  could 
not  be  removed  (the  weather  being  very  tempes- 
tuous), to  give  my  first  lieutenant  a  commission 
to  command  her,  with  other  proper  officers  under 
him. 

'I  got  into  the  River  Canton  on  the    14th  day 
pf  July,   and  sent   an   officer  with   a   letter    to   the 


320  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

Vice-King,  acquainting  him  with  the  reason  of  my 
putting  into  his  port,  that  I  intended  to  pay  him  a 
visit,  and  desired  a  supply  of  provisions  and  stores. 
A  Mandarin  was  sent  on  board  some  days  after- 
wards, to  acquaint  me  that  the  Vice-King  would 
be  glad  to  see  me,  with  the  captain  of  the  other 
ship,  and  brought  me  a  license  for  supplying  me 
with  provisions  from  day  to  day.  He  mentioned 
to  me  the  payment  of  the  duties  and  measurage 
which  he  informed  me,  by  the  Emperor's  orders, 
were  to  be  demanded  from  all  ships,  without 
excepting  those  of  war  :  I  told  him,  that  the  King 
of  Great  Britain's  ships  were  never  treated  upon  the 
footing  of  trading  vessels,  and  that  my  instructions 
from  the  king  my  master  forbid  me  to  pay  any 
acknowledgment  for  his  ships  harbouring  in  any 
port  whatsoever. 

'  Finding  I  could  not  obtain  the  provisions  and 
stores  to  enable  me  to  proceed  to  Europe,  I  was 
under  a  necessity  of  visiting  the  Vice-King,  not- 
withstanding the  Europeans  were  of  opinion  that 
the  Emperor's  duties  would  be  insisted  upon.  Not 
knowing,  therefore,  what  means  they  might  make 
use  of  when  they  had  me  in  their  power,  I  gave 
orders  to  Captain  Brett,  who,  upon  this  occasion, 
I  had  appointed  captain  under  me,  if  he  found  me 
detained,  to  destroy  the  galleon  (out  of  which 
I  had  removed  all  the  treasure,  amounting  to 
1,313,843  pieces  of   eight,  and    35,682    ounces  of 


A  RRI VAL  A  ND  RECEPTION  IN  ENGL  A  ND.    3  2 1 

virgin  silver  and  plate)  and  to  proceed  with  the 
"  Centurion "  without  the  river's  mouth,  out  of 
gunshot  of  the  two  forts. 

1  The  Vice-King  received  me  with  great  civility 
and  politeness,  having  io,coo  soldiers  drawn  up, 
and  his  council  of  Mandarins  attending  the  audi- 
ence, and  granted  me  everything  I  desired  ;  so  that 
I  had  great  reason  to  be  satisfied  with  the  success 
of  my  visit. 

'George  Anson.' 

On  Sunday,  the  1 7th  of  June,  Commodore 
Anson  arrived  in  London  from  Portsmouth,  along 
with  Admiral  Lestock.  On  Tuesday  the  rcjth  a 
waggon  laden  with  silver  was  brought  from  the  ship 
up  to  London,  under  a  strong  guard,  and  taken  to 
the  Bank  of  England.  This  was  but  the  precursor 
of  the  great  treasure,  which  was  reported  to  amount 
in  all  to  2,600,000  pieces  of  eight,  150  ounces  of 
plate,  10  bars  of  gold,  and  a  large  quantity  of 
gold  and  silver  ;  the  estimated  value  being  about 
;£ 1, 2 5 0,000   sterling. 

Short  notices  appear  in  the  Gazette,  and  in 
various  magazines  of  subsequent  dates,  which  have 
interest  as  showing  the  public  excitement  caused  by 
the  return  of  the  '  Centurion  '  with  its  treasure.  For 
instance,  in  the  Gentleman's  Magazine,  under  the 
'Historical  Chronicle'  for  July  1744,  we  read  that 
'  On  Wednesday  the  4th,  passed  through  St.  James's 

21 


322  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

Street,  the  Strand,  Cheapside,  etc.,  on  their  way  to 
the  Tower,  thirty-two  waggons  from  Portsmouth, 
with  the  treasure  brought  home  by  Admiral  Anson. 
They  were  guarded  by  the  ship's  crew,  which  was 
composed  of  men  of  many  nations,  and  preceded  by 
the  officers,  with  swords  drawn,  music  playing,  and 
colours  flying,  particularly  that  of  the  Acapulco 
prize.' 

On  the  5  th  of  the  same  month  it  is  recorded  that 
'  sixty  Dutch  sailors  who  entered  on  board  the 
"  Centurion  "  at  the  Cape  were  paid  fifty  dollars 
each,  besides  their  common  wages.' 

While  Anson  was  the  popular  hero  of  the  day  to 
the  nation,  he  was  not  regarded  with  corresponding 
favour  at  the  Admiralty.  From  St.  Helens,  on  his 
arrival  in  England,  he  had  written  a  letter  announc- 
ing his  return,  and  transmitting  an  acccunt  of  his 
proceedings  at  Canton,  and  of  the  capture  of  the 
Acapulco  ship.  He  received  from  the  Secretary  to 
the  Admiralty  a  cool  official  note,  acknowledging 
receipt  of  his  letter,  which  he  said  '  he  had  commu- 
nicated to  their  lordships.'  Being  a  personal  friend 
of  Anson,  he  added  on  his  own  account,  '  I  take  the 
opportunity  of  wishing  you  joy  on  your  arrival  in 
England.'  For  a  man  who  had  done  so  much  noble 
service  to  his  country,  and  had,  for  nearly  four  years, 
suffered  more  hardships  than  fall  to  the  lot  of  almost 
any  human  being,  this  was  a  rather  chilling  recep- 
tion ;    but   Anson    was   not    over-sensitive,    and    he 


ARRIVAL  AND  RECEPTION  IN  ENGLAND.    323 

quietly  wrote  a  second  letter,  stating  the  circum- 
stances under  which  he  had  made  his  first  lieutenant, 
Picrcy  Brett,  captain  of  the  '  Centurion,'  in  his  own 
absence  to  wait  upon  and  arrange  important  matters 
with  the  Chinese  Viceroy,  and  requesting  that  his 
commission   might  be  confirmed. 

The  first  shot  sent  into  the  hull  of  a  Spanish  ship 
could  not  have  caused  such  commotion  as  this  letter 
of  Anson's  did  at  the  Admiralty  Board.  The  sur- 
prise and  indignation  of  their  lordships  can  hardly 
be  imagined.  What !  give  a  commission  on  his  own 
authority,  and  expect  it  to  be  confirmed  by  the 
Board  !  The  thing  was  unprecedented,  preposterous, 
and  not  to  be  tolerated.  So  the  Secretary  was 
instructed  to  reply  to  Commodore  Anson  that  he 
had  no  power  to  make  such  an  appointment,  and  of 
course  it  could  not  be  confirmed. 

Just  at  that  time,  the  1 8th  of  June,  a  promotion 
of  three  rear  admirals  was  made,  of  whom  Captain 
Anson  was  one  ;  and  in  the  letter  which  accompanied 
the  commission  he  was  informed  that  the  king  had 
been  pleased  to  raise  him  to  the  rank  of  Rear 
Admiral  of  the  Blue.  Notwithstanding  the  reception 
of  this  rank  and  honour,  as  no  further  notice  had 
been  taken  of  his  friend  Lieutenant  Brett,  Anson  at 
once  returned  the  commission  of  Rear  Admiral  of  the 
Blue,  expressing  his  regret  that  he  found  himself 
under  the  necessity  of  declining  that  mark  of  royal 
favour,  which  he  could  not  accept  with  honour. 


324  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

This  display  of  high  and  chivalrous  spirit  must 
have  made  some  impression  at  the  Admiralty,  and 
must  have  caused  considerable  talk  and  consultation, 
for  no  answer  was  sent  for  more  than  a  week.  Then 
came  an  official  despatch  from  the  Board,  to  the 
effect  that  as  Captain  Anson  had  returned  his  com- 
mission the  said  commission  was  cancelled.  In  the 
Minute-book  of  the  Admiralty  the  resolution  of  the 
Board  accepting  Anson's  resignation  of  his  Admiral's 
commission  has  been  preserved,  and  is  given  by 
Sir  John  Barrow  in  his  biography.  It  runs  thus  : 
'Saturday,  the  30th  of  June,  1744.  The  Right 
Honourable  the  Earl  of  Winchilsea,  Mr.  Cockburn, 
Dr.  Lee,  Sir  Charles  Hardy,  Mr.  Phillipson,  present. 
A  letter  from  Admiral  Anson,  dated  the  22nd 
instant,  was  read,  enclosing  his  commission  of  Rear 
Admiral  of  the  Blue,  and  representing  his  concern  to 
find  himself  under  the  necessity  of  resigning  the 
same  because  a  commission  he  had  given  to  Captain 
Brett  to  command  the  "  Centurion  "'  under  him  was 
not  confirmed.  Resolved,  that  the  said  commission 
be  cancelled.' 

Lord  Winchilsea  had  the  reputation  of  being  an 
upright  and  houourable  man,  but  at  that  meeting  of 
the  Board  he  was  guided  by  the  advice  of  the 
majority,  only  one  of  whom,  Hardy,  was  a  naval 
officer,  and  the  others  '  lay  lords,'  mere  nobodies,  yet 
who  presumed  to  carry  such  a  resolution.  It  was 
certainly  a   bold   and  unprecedented  proceeding  to 


ARRIVAL  AND  RECEPTION  IN  ENGLAND.    325 

'  cancel '  a  commission  which  the  king  had  been 
pleased  to  order.  It  is  all  very  well  to  say  that 
they  were  desirous  of  upholding  the  authority  of  the 
Admiralty  against  what  they  might  describe  as  a 
stretch  of  the  royal  prerogative  ;  and  there  was  also 
a  certain  amount  of  force  in  their  arguing  that 
the  confirmation  of  Anson's  appointment  might  be 
quoted  as  a  troublesome  precedent.  If  Anson  could 
give  Brett  a  commission,  any  commodore  out  upon 
a  long  cruise  might  appoint  his  lieutenants  and  other 
officers  to  the  command  of  every  prize  that  was  taken, 
and  expect  their  commission  as  commanders  to  be 
confirmed.  They  were  right  as  a  general  principle, 
but  what  they  ought  to  have  done  was  to  confirm 
Anson's  appointment  of  Brett,  'under  the  circum- 
stances,' but  put  on  record  as  part  of  their  resolution 
that  this  was  not  to  be  taken  as  a  precedent.  This 
would  have  quietly  settled  the  question,  only  common 
sense  is  a  rare  commodity  at  Admiralty  Boards,  as 
in  all  other  departments  of  life.  The  treatment  of 
Anson,  who  by  the  cancelling  of  his  appointment 
was  actually  placed  on  half-pay  as  a  captain,  seemed 
the  more  strange,  because  the  same  day  that  he 
was  thus  sacrificed,  Brett  received  his  commission 
as  captain,  dated  June   30th,   1744. 

A  more  proper  feeling  had  been  shown  to  Anson 
by  the  Chief  Secretary  of  State,  and  head  of  the 
Ministry,  the  Duke  of  Newcastle  ;  to  whom  also,  as 
having  through  him   received   his   instructions  from 


326  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

the  king  on  setting  out  on  his  expedition,  he  had 
reported  his  proceedings.  The  Duke  wrote  a  very 
courteous  and  complimentary  letter,  in  which  he 
stated  that  he  had  laid  Captain  Anson's  report 
before  the  king,  who  was  pleased  to  express .  his 
great  approbation  of  his  conduct.  He  also  said  that 
he  mentioned  to  His  Majesty  his  recommendation 
of  Lieutenant  Dennis,  and  would  forward  the  re- 
commendation to  the  Lord  Commissioner  of  the 
Admiralty. 


CHAPTER    XXXV. 

ANSON  AT  THE  ADMIRALTY. 

'  I  AHUS  stood  matters  at  the  close  of  1744.  In 
■*~  December  of  that  year  there  was  a  change 
of  administration,  and  the  Earl  of  Winchilsea  was 
removed  from  the  Admiralty  and  his  place  taken 
by  the  Duke  of  Bedford.  Anson  was  at  once  invited 
to  become  a  member  of  the  Board.  A  few  months 
later,  as  if  to  make  amends  for  the  injustice  done  by 
the  former  Board,  Anson  obtained  two  steps  of  rank 
at  once,  being  appointed  Rear  Admiral  of  the  White. 
The  Duke  of  Bedford  appointed  Lord  Sandwich  as 
Second  Lord,  an  intimate  friend  of  his  own,  and  a 
clear-headed,  intelligent  man.  There  were  two  other 
naval  lords,  Admiral  Lord  Vere  Beauclerc  and  Lord 
Archibald  Hamilton.  The  two  lay  members,  Legge 
and  Grenville,  were  both  able  men,  capable  of 
managing  the  civil  department,  and  transacting  the 
business  of  the  Board  in  the  House  of  Commons. 
Anson's  capacity  and  experience  proved  of  the  utmost 
service,  and  he  soon  was  permitted  to  assume  the 
principal  and  active  management  of  affairs,  the  heads 


328  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 


of  the  Board  and  all  the  members  placing  implicit 
confidence  in  him. 

Horace  Walpole,  in  his  '  Memoirs  of  the  Last 
Years  of  George  II.,'  gives  an  amusing,  and  on  the 
whole  tolerably  correct  account  of  the  new  Board, 
with  personal  sketches  of  the  history  and  character 
of  the  members,  in  his  own  clear  but  impudent  and 
sarcastic  style.  Of  the  honesty  and  patriotism  of 
the  Duke  of  Bedford  he  could  not  but  speak  highly, 
but  described  him  as  being  of  no  great  ability,  and 
easily  led,  generally  by  the  Duchess,  or  by  any 
others  with  whom  he  was  brought  into  public  rela- 
tions. He  said  that  '  the  Duke  appointed  Lord 
Sandwich  chiefly  because  he  had  worked  himself 
into  favour  by  bringing  young  people  of  fashion  to 
Huntingdon  races,  and  to  cricket  matches  at  Woburn, 
and  his  success  in  getting  up  private  theatricals  and 
amateur  concerts,  at  which  the  best  artistes  of  the 
time  were  engaged  to  assist.'  As  to  Anson,  Horace 
Walpole  speaks  in  rather  a  sneering  manner,  but 
for  reasons  that  more  show  the  excellence  of  his 
character.  The  bon  mot  of  Sir  Charles  Hanbury 
Williams,  court  wit  of  the  period,  is  quoted,  who  said 
that  '  Anson  had  been  round  the  world  but  never  in 
it ; '  that  he  was  proud  and  reserved,  which  means 
that  he  did  not  join  in  the  follies  and  frivolities  of 
'  society  ; '  and  that  he  took  to  himself  for  wife  the 
daughter  of  Lord  Chancellor  Hardwicke,  when  he 
was  expected  to  marry  one  of  the  Duke  of  Bedford's 


ANSON  AT  THE  ADMIRALTY.  329 

daughters.  The  cynical  libeller  could  not  help 
admitting  afterwards,  that  '  Lord  Anson  was  atten- 
tive to,  and  generally  expert  in,  maritime  affairs,  and 
that  he  selected  with  great  care  the  best  officers.' 
This  testimony,  although  but  '  faint  praise '  from 
Walpole's  lips,  was  amply  confirmed  by  the  conduct 
of  his  naval  administration — as  we  shall  presently 
see — when  the  state  of  public  affairs  grew  serious, 
and  all  the  ability  and  energy  available  had  to  be 
displayed  in  the  wars  which  England  had  to  wage 
against  the  combined  powers  of  France  and  of 
Spain. 

At  the  very  time  that  the  new  Board  of  Admiralty 
was  being  formed,  important  events  in  the  history 
of  England  and  of  Europe  were  on  the  eve  of 
occurring.  France  was  busily  engaged  in  negoti- 
ating a  new  compact  and  alliance,  offensive  and 
defensive,  with  Spain.  One  of  the  articles  of  the 
treaty,  as  yet  secret,  was  that  war  was  to  be 
vigorously  carried  on  against  England,  and  that  no 
peace  should  be  concluded  till  Gibraltar  was  restored 
to  the  Spanish  crown.  This  treaty  was  in  due 
course  signed  at  Fontainebleau,  and  the  allied  powers 
were  actively  employed  in  equipping  such  a  navy 
as  would  give  them  the  uncontrolled  and  undisputed 
command  of  the  Mediterranean,  and  in  fact  of  the 
ocean  throughout  the  world.  Powerful  fleets  were 
being  prepared  in  the  ports  of  Brest  and  Rochefort, 
and   the   two   powers  were  determined   to   make  a 


330  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

supreme  effort  to  wrest  from  England  '  the  sove- 
reignty of  the  seas.' 

Part  of  this  design  was  to  be  the  invasion  of 
England  and  the  reinstatement  of  the  exiled  Stuart 
family  on  the  throne  of  Great  Britain.  This,  it  was 
hoped,  would  secure  the  co-operation  of  the  Scottish 
as  well  as  the  English  Jacobites,  and  all  the  enemies 
of  the  House  of  Hanover  and  of  the  Protestant 
Succession  ;  and  also  of  the  Irish,  who  could  be 
counted  on  as  zealous  allies.  This  was  indeed  a 
well-planned  and  dangerous  state  of  affairs  for 
England,  but  there  were  fortunately  at  the  helm  of 
the  State  men  equal  to  the  occasion,  in  whose  hands 
the  destinies  of  the  nation  were  safe.  So  far  as 
naval  affairs  were  concerned,  and  by  sea  chiefly  this 
great  contest  seemed  likely  to  be  at  first  carried  on, 
it  was  well  that  a  man  like  Anson  was  now  the 
directing  spirit  at  the  Admiralty.  What  he  then 
did  during  a  long  and  glorious  administration  will 
in  future  pages  be  narrated,  but  events  happened 
which  for  a  time  recalled  him  to  active  service  afloat, 
before  he  began  that  course  of  administration  which 
made  him  distinguished,  as  he  will  always  be  in 
history,  as  the  '  organiser  of  victory '  (to  use  Napo- 
leon's phrase  about  his  minister  Carnot)  and  the 
establisher  on  firm  foundations  of  the  naval  supre- 
macy of  England. 

When  the  war  commenced,  the  most  pressing 
anxiety  was  caused  by  the  threatened  invasion  by 


ANSON  AT  THE  ADMIRALTY.  331 

a  French  army,  carried  across  the  Channel  by  the 
fleets   stationed   at    Brest   and    Rochefort.      It  was 
supposed  that,  from  the  number  of  squadrons  in  the 
Mediterranean,  the  West  Indies,  and  other  foreign 
stations,  there  was  no  naval  force  at  home  capable 
of  obstructing  the  passage  of  the  French  fleet  across 
the  Channel,  or  of  opposing  the  landing  of  an  army. 
It   was    reported  that  about  twenty  thousand   men 
were  encamped  at  Dunkirk,  under  the  command  of 
Marshal  Saxe,  and  towards  this  camp  the  English 
people  looked  with  as  much  alarm  as  they  did  in 
aftertimes  at  the  camp  at  Boulogne  under  Napoleon 
Buonaparte.     The  French  fleet,  of  about  twenty  sail 
of  the  line,  with  many  smaller  vessels,  was  under 
the  command  of  M.  de  Roquefeuille,  a  veteran  and 
experienced    officer.     The    English    Channel    fleet, 
amounting  to  nearly  the  same  number  of  ships,  but 
not  so  well  built  or  strongly  armed,  was  commanded 
by  Admiral  Sir  John  Norris.      In  the  early  part  of 
February  the  French  fleet  was  seen  off  Plymouth, 
standing    up    Channel,  and   great    preparation   was 
made  along  the  southern  coasts,  especially  in  Kent 
and  Essex,  to  oppose  any  attempt  at  landing.     The 
national  enthusiasm  and  patriotic  spirit  burst  forth 
as    brightly  as    in  the  old  days  when  preparations 
were  made  for  the  Spanish  Armada.     M.  de  Roque- 
feuille had  many  swift  cruisers,  and  these  he  sent  to 
reconnoitre.     Finding  no  ships  of  war  either  at  St. 
Helens  or  Spithead,  he  stood  boldly  up  the  Channel, 


332  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

and  came  to  anchor  off  Dungeness.  This  being 
reported  to  Sir  John  Norris,  he  got  his  fleet  under 
weigh  and  worked  down  Channel,  against  a  westerly 
wind,  till  within  two  leagues  of  the  French  fleet, 
when,  the  tide  being  strong  against  him,  he  was 
obliged  to  anchor.  The  French  showed  no  dis- 
position to  engage;  on  the  contrary,  they  seemed  to 
have  been  seized  with  a  panic,  for  having  made  every 
preparation  to  take  advantage  of  the  turn  of  the 
tide,  a  signal  was  suddenly  given  for  every  ship  to 
make  the  best  of  her  way  to  Brest ;  and  they 
actually  cut  or  slipped  their  cables  to  lose  no  time 
in  getting  under  sail.  A  gale  sprang  up  soon  after, 
increasing  to  a  storm,  by  which  the  ships  were  dis- 
persed, and  many  reached  Brest  in  a  very  shattered 
condition.  Sir  John  Norris,  who  was  greatly 
surprised  by  this  rapid  retreat,  gave  chase  promptly, 
but  it  was  impossible  to  come  up  with  any  of  the 
French  ships,  which  invariably  outsailed  the  British  ; 
and  as  he  considered  it  useless  if  not  perilous  to 
expose  his  fleet  to  the  storm,  he  returned  to  the 
Downs.  Thus,  not  only  was  the  attempt  by  the 
fleet  frustrated,  but  much  damage  was  done  by 
the  storm  to  the  transports  and  other  vessels  at 
Dunkirk,  so  much  that  the  camp  was  soon  after 
broken  up.  The  young  Pretender,  Charles  Edward 
Stuart,  was  at  that  moment  in  the  camp,  and  he 
returned  to  Paris  grievously  disappointed.  It  was 
by   his    father,   now  old,   who  had  resided    on    the 


ANSON  AT  THE  ADMIRALTY.  ^ 

Continent,  latterly  at  Rome,  since  the  rebellion  of 
171  5,  that  his  son  was  sent  to  try  his  fortune  in  this 
new  enterprise,  when  the  scattering  of  the  French 
fleet  removed  all  fears  of  the  invasion  of  England. 

The  design  of  making  an  attempt  by  landing  in 
Scotland,  and  putting  himself  at  the  head  of  the 
Highland  clans  and  of  his  Jacobite  adherents  in 
that  county,  was  next  entertained.  It  is  said  that 
an  Irish  papist,  a  merchant  settled  at  Nantes,  named 
Walsh,  furnished  for  this  object  a  small  armed  vessel, 
and  raised  for  the  Pretender's  use  about  £2,000, 
besides  arms  for  two  thousand  men.  The  aged 
Marquis  of  Tullibardine,  Sir  Thomas  Sheridan,  and  a 
few  others,  embarked  with  the  Pretender.  They  set 
sail  on  the  4th  of  July,  1745.  Off  Belleisle  they 
were  joined  by  the  '  Elizabeth,'  a  French  ship  of 
war  of  sixty-four  guns,  the  captain  of  which  had 
orders  to  escort  them  to  the  Western  Islands  of 
Scotland. 

Anson,  at  the  Admiralty,  believing  that  rebellion 
in  the  north  might  give  rise  to  much  trouble,  and 
might  cost  much  loss  in  men  and  money  to  put  it 
down,  thought  it  best  to  try  to  prevent  the  landing 
of  the  Pretender.  He  got  his  old  comrade,  Captain 
Brett,  appointed  to  the  '  Lion,'  of  fifty-eight  guns, 
and  four  hundred  and  forty  men.  Captain  Brett  soon 
put  himself  in  the  path  of  the  '  Elizabeth,'  and  run- 
ning his  ship  alongside  commenced  the  attack  within 
pistol-shot.     For  over  five  hours  a  fine  engagement 


334  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

lasted,  by  which  time  the  (  Lion's '  rigging  was  cut 
to  pieces,  her  mizzen-mast  shot  away,  and  all  her 
lower  and  top  masts  wounded,  so  that  she  lay  little 
better  than  a  log  on  the  water.  The  '  Elizabeth  ' 
did  not  venture  to  board  her  enemy,  but  having 
suffered  less  damage  to  her  rigging  was  able  to  set 
sail  enough  to  carry  her  off;  but  her  hull  was  so 
shattered  that  it  was  with  great  difficulty  she  man- 
agged  to  get  into  Brest  harbour.  The  small  vessel 
that  carried  the  Pretender  attempted  at  first  to 
show  fight,  but  was  soon  beaten  off  by  the  '  Lion's ' 
stern-chasers  ;  and  while  the  big  ships  were  engaged 
she  continued  to  escape  withall  the  sail  she  could  carry. 
The  encounter  cost  the  '  Lion  '  fifty-five  men  killed 
and  above  a  hundred  wounded,  some  of  whom  died 
after  the  action.  Captain  Brett  and  almost  all  his 
officers  were  wounded.  It  was  afterwards  ascertained 
that  the  '  Elizabeth '  lost  her  captain  and  sixty-four 
men  killed,  and  one  hundred  and  forty  wounded. 
Prince  Charles  Edward  reached  the  coast  of  Scotland, 
and  at  Lochaber  he  and  his  attendants  landed. 

The  Pretender  raised  his  standard  on  the  12th  of 
August,  which  event,  and  the  mustering  of  the  clans, 
we  all  know  from  the  history  of  that  time.  The 
defeat  of  the  English  troops  at  Prestonpans,  the 
advance  of  the  Scottish  rebels  into  England,  their 
retreat  after  reaching  as  far  south  as  Derby,  and 
their  final  overthrow  and  the  crushing  of  the 
rebellion    at    Culloden,    are    also    events    familiarly 


ANSON  AT  THE  ADMIRALTY.  335 

known.  What  we  have  here  to  mention  refers  only 
to  matters  in  which  Anson  and  the  directors  of 
naval  affairs  took  part.  By  the  Government  and 
the  Admiralty  a  powerful  squadron  was  stationed  in 
the  Downs  to  watch  the  French  at  Dunkirk  and 
Calais,  in  case  of  any  renewed  attempt  at  crossing  the 
Channel  ;  and  detachments  were  also  sent  into  the 
North  Sea  to  intercept  any  supplies  that  might  be 
sent  for  the  use  of  the  rebels.  The  frigates  and  small 
vessels  detached  for  this  service  were  successful 
in  capturing  and  destroying  several  transports  and 
store  ships.  It  was  in  this  service  that  the  name  of 
Howe,  afterwards  so  distinguished  in  naval  annals, 
first  appears.  He  was  in  command  of  the  '  Balti- 
more '  sloop,  and  was  severely  wounded  in  an  action 
with  two  French  frigates,  which  he  attacked  in  com- 
pany with  the  '  Greyhound,'  English  frigate.  As 
often  happened  in  these  actions,  the  English  ships 
were  so  much  injured  in  their  sails  and  rigging  as  to 
be  unable  to  follow  the  enemy,  who  almost  invariably 
took  advantage  of  the  crippled  state  of  the  English 
ships  to  make  off.  Anson  heard  of  Howe's  gallant 
conduct,  and  it  was  in  consequence  of  this  that  he 
afterwards  recommended  him  for  high  command. 

Some  curious  letters  to  Admiral  Anson  from  his 
brother  Thomas  Anson  are  printed  in  Sir  John 
Barrow's  biographical  volume.  Mr.  T.  Anson  seems 
amused  to  hear  of  the  great  panic  in  London  as  to 
the  approach  of  the  rebels,  and  gives  a  more  correct 


336  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

account  of  their  position  and  prospects  when  in  the 
midland  counties.  Their  number  did  not  seem  to 
exceed  '  seven  thousand,  three  or  four  thousand 
good  troops,  the  rest  rabble  and  boys.'  They  were 
greatly  disappointed  and  exasperated  at  their  cool 
reception  at  Derby,  '  from  which  their  whole  body 
marched  out  with  visible  dejection  and  despair.' 
'  From  that  time  their  behaviour  was  much  fiercer,' 
plundering  and  ravaging,  and  sometimes  wantonly 
wounding  and  murdering  the  people.  Mr.  Anson's 
letters  show  no  sign  of  anxiety,  but  confidence  that 
the  irruption  of  'this  gang  of  rapparees,  by  no 
means  formidable  in  themselves,  but  from  the  panic 
they  have  spread,'  will  soon  be  over,  as  the  troops 
of  the  Duke  (Cumberland)  and  of  Wade  are  at  their 
heels,  pursuing  them  back  to  their  own  country. 

At  this  time  Admiral  Anson  was  left  almost  in 
sole  charge  of  the  business  of  the  Admiralty.  The 
Duke  of  Bedford  was  laid  up  with  gout,  and  Lord 
Sandwich  had  a  long  and  dangerous  illness.  Of 
the  other  lords  none  had  energy  or  ability  equal  to 
Anson,  who,  although  he  was  one  of  the  youngest 
members,  was  understood  to  be  acting  by  the 
instructions  of  the  Duke  of  Bedford,  as  well  as 
by  his  own  authority,  which  was  seldom  called  in 
question.  On  one  occasion  he  had  to  make  a 
decided  stand  for  the  privileges  of  his  Board 
against  the  undue  interference  of  the  Court  of 
Common    Pleas.       It  was   on   account  of   the  pro- 


ANSON  AT  THE  ADMIRALTY.  337 

ceedings  of  a  court-martial,  the  verdict  of  which 
was  declared  by  the  Lord  Chief  Justice  Willes  to 
be  illegal  and  unconstitutional.  So  far  did  this 
imperious  judge  go  that  he  ordered  the  members 
of  the  court-martial  to  be  taken  into  custody, 
issuing  warrants  to  that  effect.  Terrified  by  the 
judge's  menaces,  the  members  of  the  court-martial 
submitted,  with  humble  apology.  But  Admiral 
Anson  was  not  to  be  thus  easily  subdued.  The 
affair  was  referred  to  the  Chief  Minister  of  State, 
who  in  reply  sent  a  notification  that  '  His  Majesty 
expressed  great  displeasure  at  the  insult  offered 
to  the  court-martial,  by  which  the  military  discipline 
of  the  Navy  is  so  much  affected  ;  and  His  Majesty 
will  consider  what  steps  it  may  be  advisable  to  take 
on  the  occasion.' 

The  affair  was  not  pushed  by  the  Lord  Chief 
Justice  to  extremes,  and  an  Act  of  Parliament  not 
long  afterward  confirmed  the  authority  of  courts- 
martial  as  independent  tribunals  in  their  own  sphere. 
The  attempt  to  encroach  on  the  privileges  of  other 
courts,  with  well-defined  and  independent  juris- 
diction, received  by  statute  and  by  usage,  has  led 
to  many  lamentable  events  in  matters  both  civil 
and  ecclesiastical.  In  the  case  of  courts-martial 
Anson  maintained  their  independence,  and  no  one 
since  his  time  has  claimed  to  override  their  pro- 
ceedings. Very  recently  a  clear  decision  to  this 
effect    was    given     by    Mr.    Justice    Day    (in    June 

22 


338  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

1890).  A  naval  officer  who  was  cashiered  brought 
an  action  for  the  value  of  goods  which  had  on  his 
conviction  become  the  property  of  the  crown.  Mr. 
Justice  Day  in  his  decision  said  that  he  had  no 
authority  to  interfere  with  the  judgments  of  a 
court-martial.  To  Anson  is  due  this  assertion 
of  the  independent  jurisdiction  and  the  privileges  of 
these  courts. 

In  1745,  when  the  land-forces  of  Great  Britain 
were  employed  in  putting  down  the  Rebellion,  the 
navy  was  active  on  every  sea  in  maintaining  the 
prestige  and  power  of  the  kingdom.  If  no  great 
battles  were  fought  and  victories  gained,  it  was 
because  the  enemy's  fleets  did  not  venture  to  show 
themselves  out  of  their  fortified  ports.  Many  lesser 
engagements  took  place,  and  the  English  privateers 
and  His  Majesty's  cruisers  took  prizes,  which  lessened 
the  resources  of  the  hostile  powers  and  brought 
large  accession  of  wealth  to  the  nation.  A  single 
ship  captured,  the  '  Notre  Dame  de  Delivrance,' 
yielded  a  cargo  amounting  in  value  to  about 
;£6oo,ooo.  There  were  successes  of  other  kinds 
besides  the  taking  of  prizes.  Commodore  Warren, 
for  instance,  attacked  Fort  Louisbourg,  at  the 
mouth  of  the  St.  Laurence,  the  garrison  capitulating 
after  a  very  short  resistance.  Canada,  it  must  be 
remembered,  was  at  that  time  still  a  French  colony. 
It  was  in  connection  with  the  capture  of  Fort 
Louisbourg  that  the  story  is  told  of  the  Duke  of 


ANSON  AT  THE  ADMIRALTY.  339 

Newcastle  hastening  to  the  king,  in  great  elation, 
to  announce  the  fall  of  the  fortress,  and  also  to 
tell  His  Majesty  of  the  discovery  he  had  made,  that 
Cape  Breton  was  an  island. 

In  1746  a  very  unpleasant  affair  connected 
with  Admiral  Vernon,  occupied  Anson's  attention. 
This  gallant  sailor,  who  had  recently  been  promoted 
to  the  rank  of  Admiral  of  the  White,  was  ordered 
to  repair  to  the  Downs  and  take  command  of  that 
part  of  the  Channel  and  of  the  North  Sea.  Vernon 
was  a  brave  and  dashing  officer,  but  with  a  very 
unhappy  temper,  sometimes  violent,  and  usually 
querulous,  and  not  gifted  with  the  cool  judgment 
and  well-balanced  mind  of  his  contemporary  Anson. 
He  had  not  been  long  at  his  post  in  the  Downs 
when  he  wrote  to  the  First  Lord  of  the  Admiralty 
desiring  to  be  relieved  of  his  command.  The 
Board,  on  the  very  next  day,  sent  down  by  express 
an  order  to  strike  his  flag  and  come  on  shore. 
Vice  Admiral  Martin  was  at  the  same  time  appointed 
his  successor.  For  some  time  before  this  Vernon's 
irritability,  and  his  intemperate  language  about 
the  naval  administration,  had  made  him  almost 
unbearable,  and  the  moment  he  offered  his  resig- 
nation it  was  gladly  accepted.  This  gave  fresh 
cause  for  angry  and  abusive  attacks  on  the 
Admiralty,  and  it  was  discovered  that  he  had 
written,  or  caused  to  be  written  and  published,  two 
very  violent  anonymous  pamphlets,  a  most  heinous 


340  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

offence  in  the  view  of  all  official  persons.  Being 
summoned  to  attend  the  Board,  he  did  not  show 
a  submissive  spirit,  or  express  any  regret  for  his 
imprudent  violence,  and  accordingly  on  the  follow- 
ing day,  by  a  resolution  of  the  Board,  he  was 
struck  off  the  list  of  flag-officers.  This  made  a 
great  fuss  at  the  time,  for  Vernon  had  been  a 
great  favourite  with  the  nation,  on  account  of  his 
having  taken  Porto  Bello,  and  bombarded  Cartha- 
gena,  and  performed  a  few  other  brilliant  exploits 
when  in  the  West  Indies.  His  vanity  and  ostenta- 
tion, his  harsh  treatment  of  his  officers  and  men, 
and  his  insolence  to  his  superiors  had  gradually 
alienated  men's  minds.  He  made  no  attempt  to 
be  restored  to  the  service,  and,  retiring  to  his  seat 
in   Suffolk,  died  there   in    1757. 

This  affair  of  Admiral  Vernon  being  disposed  of, 
Anson  was  next  busily  occupied  with  some  matters 
of  permanent  importance  to  the  naval  service. 
There  were  great  abuses  in  the  dock-yards,  and  it 
was  through  his  representations  that  an  Order  in 
Council  was  issued  for  improving  the  building  of 
ships,  a  reform  much  needed,  and  only  partially 
carried  out,  owing  to  inveterate  abuses  and  scandalous 
jobbery.  Long  afterwards  Nelson  had  to  complain 
of  those  abuses,  and  the  patriotic  zeal  of  Cochrane, 
Lord  Dundonald,  failed  to  compel  public  attention 
to  the  matter.  Anson  did  what  he  could  in  his 
time,  but  there  always  has  been  need,  and  there  is 


A NSON  A T  THE  A DMIRA LTY.  341 

still  need,  of  light  being  thrown  on  the  dark  places 
of  naval  '  construction  '  and  administration. 

Another  subject  in  which  Anson  inaugurated  re- 
form, was  the  mode  of  promotion  and  of  retirement 
of  flag-officers.  There  were  long  lists  of  aged 
captains  left  to  subsist  on  the  pittance  of  half-pay, 
and  with  no  hope  of  advancement,  and  no  prospect 
of  living  in  retirement  with  some  comfort  after  long 
service.  Admiral  Anson  arranged  this  difficult 
question  in  a  satisfactory  way.  He  strongly  felt 
that  it  was  not  for  the  advantage  of  the  nation  to 
appoint  men  to  high  command  on  important  duties 
by  mere  seniority,  and  he  always  urged  the  appoint- 
ment of  the  best  and  fittest  men,  however  young  and 
low  on  the  lists,  for  promotion  ;  but  be  obtained  an 
Order  in  Council  for  the  promotion  of  all  old  captains 
thus  passed  over  to  attain  the  present  rank  and 
the  pay  of  rear  admirals,  without  implying  active 
service. 

Another  curious  reform,  now  first  introduced,  was 
the  regulation  of  the  dress  of  naval  officers.  It  will 
be  scarcely  credited  that,  up  to  the  middle  of  last 
century,  there  was  no  special  dress  or  costume  in  the 
Royal  Navy.  On  the  Mediterranean  station  it  was 
a  common  thing  for  lieutenants  of  the  navy  to 
purchase  the  soldiers'  old  coats  at  Mahon  and 
Gibraltar,  and  trimming  them  with  black  wore  them 
as  a  uniform.  The  colour  of  the  breeches  on  every 
station  was  quite  immaterial,  and  left  to  the  fancy 


342  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

of  each  officer,  and  was  generally  black  or  scarlet. 
Major  Rennell,  in  a  letter,  says,  '  Sixty-two  years 
ago,  in  1759,  I  saw  a  Master  of  a  man-of-war,  who 
wore  a  red  coat  trimmed  with  black,  and  thought 
himself  very  smart.  Perhaps  it  was  one  of  the 
lieutenant's  old  coats,  as  they  then  wore  blue 
uniforms.'  > 

The  introduction  of  '  navy  blue  '  was  then  very 
recent,  and  was  a  novelty  in  the  middle  of  the 
century.  In  a  letter  from  Captain  Keppel  to  Captain 
P.  Saumarez,  dated  London,  25th  August,  1747,  he 
says  :  \  My  Lord  Anson  is  desirous  that  many  of  us 
should  make  coats  after  our  own  tastes,  and  then  that 
a  choice  should  be  made  of  one  to  be  general,  and  if 
you  will  appear  in  it  here,  he  says  he  will  be  answer- 
able your  taste  will  not  be  among  the  worst.'  What 
the  uniforn  then  selected  was  does  not  appear,  nor 
can  any  Order  in  Council  be  found  either  in  the 
Council  Office,  nor  in  the  Admiralty,  where  Sir 
John  Barrow  caused  careful  search  to  be  made. 
What  share  Captain  Saumarez  had  in  the  selection  or 
other  specimens  of  individual  taste  remains  hidden 
in  past  history.  The  gossiping  wits  of  the  town 
said  that  the  Duke  of  Bedford,  the  First  Lord  of  the 
Admiralty,  took  the  idea  of  '  blue,  with  white  collars, 
cuffs,  and  facings,'  from  the  Duchess  of  Bedford's 
riding  habit!  Be  this  as  it  may,  the  adoption  of 
blue  as  the  naval  colour  dates  from  that  time.  If 
any    modifications    in    the   details  of  uniform  were 


ANSON  AT  THE  ADMIRALTY.  343 

gradually  introduced,  the  record  of  these  must  be 
found  in  portraits  of  naval  officers  in  picture- 
galleries,  or  in  costumes  preserved  in  family  ward- 
robes and  old  oak  chests,  or  in  historical  relics,  such 
as  the  famous  one  of  Nelson's  coat  in  the  show-case 
at  Greenwich  Hospital.  The  regulation  dress  for  all 
ranks  is  now  an  affair  of  fixed  and  official  exactness, 
as  may  be  seen  in  the  catalogues  of  equipment 
tailors,  or  in  the  price  lists  of  the  Army  and  Navy 
Stores. 


CHAPTER    XXXVI. 

ANSON'S  ENGAGEMENT  OFF  FINISTERRE. 

1\  /T  ORE  serious  concerns  had  soon  to  occupy 
-L*-*-  the  thoughts  and  time  of  Admiral  Anson. 
There  had  been  a  succession  of  unfortunate  and 
sometimes  disgraceful  failures  at  sea.  An  English 
commodore,  with  four  sail  of  the  line  and  a  large 
frigate,  had  fled  from  the  French  commander  M.  de 
Conflans,  with  only  two  ships  of  war  convoying  a 
large  fleet  of  merchantmen.  Equally  disgraceful 
was  the  conduct  of  another  commodore  in  the  East 
Indies,  who  declined  meeting  M.  la  Bourdonnais, 
and  suffered  him  to  blockade  Madras,  and  exact 
a  ransom  from  the  inhabitants  of  half  a  million 
sterling.  Other  disasters  had  occurred,  and  on  the 
strength  of  these  successes  the  French  and  Spanish 
fleets  again  assumed  a  threatening  position,  and 
were  preparing  a  new  descent  on  England.  If  the 
Brest  and  Rochefort  squadrons,  along  with  that  at 
Ferrol,  got  command  of  the  Channel  there  would 
be  a  dark  look-out.  Anson  determined  to  assume 
command  of  the   Home  Fleet,  and  on  the  9th  of 


ANSON'S  ENGAGEMENT  OFF  FINIS TERRE.    345 

April,  1 747,  he  sailed  from  Plymouth  with  a  powerful 
squadron,  hoisting  his  flag  in  the  '  Prince  George, 
ninety  guns,  seven  hundred  and  seventy  men,  with 
Rear  Admiral  Warren  second  in  command  in  the 
■  Devonshire.'  Twelve  ships  of  the  line,  ranging 
from  seventy-four  to  sixty  guns,  nearly  nine  hundred 
guns  in  all,  and  manned  by  about  six  thousand  five 
hundred  seamen  and  marines,  with  several  smaller 
vessels,  formed  this  formidable  force.  Several  of  the 
old  officers  of  the  '  Centurion,'  Brett,  Saumarez, 
Dennis,  and  others,  were  now  in  command  of  ships 
of  the  line  under  their  old  Commodore,  now  Vice 
Admiral  of  the  Fleet.  The  '  Centurion,'  fifty,  was 
commanded  by  Captain   Dennis. 

On  the  3rd  of  May  Anson  fell  in  with  and 
engaged  the  combined  squadrons  from  the  French 
ports  off  Cape  Finisterre.  The  French  had  only  ten 
ships  of  the  line,  while  the  English  had  fourteen, 
so  that  it  was  rather  an  unequal  contest,  but  there 
was  a  good  fair  fight  all  the  same.  Anson's 
despatch  describing  the  affair,  sent  home  in  charge 
of  Captain  Dennis  of  the  '  Centurion,'  arrived  at  the 
Admiralty  on  the  16th  of  May.  It  is  a  thoroughly 
characteristic  document,  giving  a  plain  narrative  of 
proceeding,  and  of  his  own  success,  without  any 
vaunting  spirit,  and  paying  generous  tribute  to  the 
conduct  of  the  enemy.  After  describing  the  sight- 
ing of  the  French  fleet,  the  chase,  and  the  prepara- 
tions for  engagement,  he  says  :  '  By  noon  I   plainly 


346  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

discerned  the  chase  to  be  a  French  fleet.  Nine  of 
the  ships  had  shortened  sail,  and  were  drawing  into 
a  line  of  battle  ahead.  The  rest  of  the  fleet  whom 
I  judged  to  be  under  their  convoy  were  stretching 
to  the  westward  with  all  the  sail  they  could  set. 

'  At  one  o'clock  I  made  the  signal  for  the  line  of 
battle  abreast,  and  in  half-an-hour  afterwards  for 
the  line  ahead.  About  three  I  made  the  signal  for 
the  ship  in  the  van  to  lead  more  large,  in  order  to 
come  to  a  close  engagement  with  the  enemy  ;  who 
getting  their  fore-tacks  on  board,  and  loosing  their 
top-gallant  sails,  convinced  me  that  their  sole  aim 
was  to  gain  time,  and  endeavour  to  make  their 
escape  under  favour  of  the  night,  finding  themselves 
deceived  in  our  strength ;  upon  which  I  made  a 
signal  for  the  whole  fleet  to  pursue  the  enemy  and 
attack  them,  without  having  any  regard  to  the  line 
of  battle.' 

Our  old  friend  the  '  Centurion  '  had  the  honour 
of  leading  off.  '  The  '  Centurion,'  says  Anson, 
'  having  got  up  with  the  sternmost  ship  of  the 
enemy  about  four  o'clock,  began  to  engage  her,  upon 
which  two  of  the  largest  of  the  enemy's  ships  bore 
down  to  her  assistance.  The  '  Namur,'  '  Defiance,' 
and  '  Windsor,'  being  the  headmost  ships,  soon 
entered  into  the  action,  and  after  having  disabled 
these  ships  in  such  a  manner  that  the  ships  astern 
must  come  up  with  them,  they  made  sail  ahead  to 
prevent  the  van  of  the  enemy  making  an  escape.' 


ANSON'S  ENGA  GEMENT  OFF  FINISTERRE.    347 

Some  details  of  the  fight  having  been  given,  the 
Admiral's  despatch  tells  that  '  all  the  ships  in  the 
enemy's  rear  struck  their  colours  between  six  and 
seven  o'clock,  and  all  those  that  were  in  the  line 
before  night'  He  adds,  'To  do  justice  to  the 
French  officers,  they  did  their  duty  well,  and  lost 
their  ships  with  honour,  scarcely  any  of  them 
striking  their  colours  till  their  ships  were  dismasted.' 
The  issue  of  the  engagement  was  never  doubtful, 
the  English  having  superiority  both  in  guns  and  men, 
but  Anson's  management  of  the  affair  is  not  the  less 
creditable.  As  soon  as  he  saw  the  enemy  making 
sail,  he  at  once  annulled  the  previous  signal  regarding 
forming  line  of  battle,  and  ordered  each  ship  to  '  go 
at '  a  Frenchman,  as  Nelson  did  afterwards  in  his 
most  famous  fights.  Every  ship  of  the  enemy  was 
captured,  and  also  a  good  many  of  the  merchant 
vessels.  The  French  general,  or  chef-d'escadrc,  was 
M.  de  Jonquiere.  M.  St.  George,  commander  of 
the  '  Invincible,'  kept  his  colours  flying  some  time 
after  the  general  had  struck.  M.  St.  George  struck  to 
Anson's  ship  '  Prince  George,'  and  when  he  came  on 
board  to  deliver  up  his  sword  to  the  Admiral  all 
were  struck  by  the  courtesy  and  coolness  of  this 
French  officer  of  the  old  chivalrous  type.  He  went 
frankly  up  to  Anson,  presenting  his  sword  with  the 
words,  '  Monsieur,  vous  avez  vaincu  "  LTnvincible," 
et  "  La  Gloire"  vous  suit,'  referring  to  the  companion 
French  ship.     This  neat  epigrammatic  compliment 


348  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

was  delivered  in  charming  manner,  and  the  scene 
proved  the  beginning  of  a  personal  friendship  which 
became  very  intimate,  and  ceased  only  with  the 
Admiral's  death. 

The  news  of  the  victory  caused  great  satisfaction 
in  England.  The  Duke  of  Bedford  wrote  to  Anson  : 
'  You  will  easily  believe  no  one  in  this  town  did  with 
greater  joy  receive  the  news  of  your  great  success 
than  myself;  and  universal  I  may  say  it  is,  as  I  am 
just  come  home  through  illuminated  streets  and  bon- 
fires. The  King  told  me  this  morning  at  his  levee 
that  I  had  given  him  the  best  breakfast  he  has  had 
for  a  long  time,  and  I  think  I  never  saw  him  more 
pleased  in  my  life.  He  has  ordered  Captain  Dennis 
a  reward  of  ^500  for  bringing  this  welcome  news.' 

The  rejoicings  were  renewed  when  the  ships 
returned  to  Portsmouth  with  the  prizes  captured  ; 
and  when  the  treasure  taken  in  the  merchantmen 
was  conveyed  to  London,  and  carried,  with  grand 
military  escort,  through  the  streets  of  the  City,  to 
the  Bank,  all  the  population  again  witnessed  the 
scene,  as  had  been  the  case  when  the  treasure 
from  the  Spanish  Acapulco  ship  arrived,  with 
similar  rejoicing  and  triumph.  This  permanent 
benefit  came  out  of  the  affair,  that  the  national  pride 
and  public  confidence  in  Anson  brought  him  addi- 
tional authority  as  well  as  fame  ;  and  the  country 
had  the  advantage  in  his  now  more  than  ever  being 
trusted  as  the  chief  administrator  of  naval  affairs. 


ANSON*  S  BNGA  GEM  EXT  OFF  FINISTERRE.   349 

This  was  the  first  victory  gained  in  the  war,  and  like 
the  glorious  '  1st  of  June'  in  after  years,  Anson's 
success  off  Finisterre  inspirited  the  navy  and 
animated  the  nation. 

When  the  Admiral  waited  on  the  King,  he  met 
with  a  most  cordial  reception,  the  King  thanking 
him  most  warmly,  and  through  him  all  the  officers 
and  men  for  their  bravery  and  conduct.  On  the 
13th  of  June  His  Majesty  was  further  pleased  to 
create  Vice  Admiral  Anson  a  Peer  of  Great  Britain, 
by  the  title  of  Baron  Anson,  of  Soberton  in  the 
county  of  Hants  ;  and  Rear  Admiral  Warren  was 
honoured  with  the  military  Order  of  the  Bath. 

Resuming  his  duties  as  member  of  the  Admiralty 
Board,  Anson  took  watchful  and  energetic  superin- 
tendence of  affairs.  By  his  recommendation  Rear 
Admiral  Hawke  was  appointed  to  the  command  of 
a  squadron  sent  to  intercept  a  large  French  fleet 
about  to  sail  from  Basque  Road  for  the  West  Indies, 
under  a  strong  force  of  ships  of  the  line.  The 
French  fleet  left  Rochelle  Road  on  the  8th  of 
October,  and  on  the  17th  Hawke,  who  had  left 
Plymouth  on  the  9th,  came  up  with  the  enemy, 
took  six  of  their  finest  ships,  four  of  them  of  74 
guns,  and  gained  a  complete  victory.  The  English 
had  superiority  in  number  of  ships  and  of  guns,  but 
in  men  they  were  nearly  equal,  the  French  Admiral's 
ship,  '  Le  Tonnant,'  having  822  men  and  80  guns, 
and  four  other  ships  having  6S6  men  each  and  64 


350  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

guns  ;  whereas  the  English  commander's  ship,  the 
'Devonshire,'  had  only  550  men  and  66  guns,  and 
most  of  the  large  ships  having  only  400  men  and 
60  guns.  The  loss  of  the  French  amounted  to  nearly 
800  killed  and  wounded,  of  the  English  about  150 
killed,  among  them  being  Captain  Saumarez  of  the 
'  Nottingham,'  60  guns,  400  men,  who  was  deeply 
lamented  by  Anson,  whose  lieutenant  he  had  been 
in  the  '  Centurion '  in  their  famous  voyage. 

Hawke  received  high  honours  on  his  return  home. 
Some  English  captains,  whose  conduct  on  various 
occasions  seemed  blameworthy,  were  tried  by  court- 
martial,  and  Anson  showed  himself  as  severe  in 
punishing  the  evildoers  as  he  was  generous  in 
approving  those  who  did  well  in  the  service.  By 
the  vigorous  administration  of  affairs  the  glory  of 
the  British  flag  was  renewed  on  every  sea,  and  the 
colonies  were  now  free  from  menace  and  insult. 
The  East  India  Company's  settlements  were  the 
only  exception,  for  the  French  maintained  an  over- 
whelming force  in  the  eastern  seas,  and  they  also 
managed  to  keep  from  capture  their  settlements  on 
land,  some  of  which,  as  Pondicherry,  remain  in  their 
possession  to  the  present  day. 

We  must  not  further  refer  to  the  incidents  of 
the  war  which  closed  with  the  Treaty  of  Peace  of 
Aix-la-Chapelle  in  1748.  In  1749  Lord  Sandwich 
became  First  Lord  of  the  Admiralty ;  being  appointed 
in   the   previous  year,  when   the   Duke  of  Bedford 


ANSON'S  ENGA  GEMENT  OFF  FINISTERRE.    351 

was  advanced  to  the  head  of  the  Government.  In 
writing  to  Lord  Anson  from  the  Continent,  where 
Lord  Sandwich  was  attending  the  King,  he  said  : 
1 1  hope  soon  to  have  the  happiness  of  being  with 
you  in  England,  when  we  will  take  care  to  settle 
things  at  the  Board  upon  such  a  footing  as  to  leave 
no  room  there  for  anything  to  be  done  contrary  to 
our  inclination.'  One  of  the  first  measures  carried 
by  them  was  the  visitation  of  all  the  dockyards 
and  other  naval  establishments,  which  were  to  be 
inspected  once  in  every  two  years  by  the  Board. 
There  does  not  seem  to  have  been  previously  any 
inspection  or  control ;  and  the  number  and  variety  of 
abuses  now  brought  to  light  can  hardly  be  credited. 
Much  good  resulted  from  these  visitations,  and  a 
vast  expenditure  of  money  and  stores  was  saved  to 
the  nation.  In  our  day  the  inspection  is  once  a  year, 
which  is  seldom  enough,  for  much  irregularity,  waste, 
and  abuse  may  still  be  found  in  these  as  in  other 
public   establishments. 

The  next  important  measure  carried  was  '  An  Act 
for  amending  and  consolidating  the  Laws  relating 
to  the  Navy,'  a  comprehensive  and  useful  measure, 
which  in  the  main  is  in  force  to  the  present  time. 
One  of  the  chief  modifications  subsequently  made 
was  the  removal  of  the  right  of  courts-martial  to 
inflict  the  penalty  of  death,  a  change  which  was 
occasioned  by  the  excitement  attending  the  trial 
and  execution   of   the   unfortunate    Admiral  Byng, 


352  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

about  the  justice  and  policy  of  which  public  opinion 
was  much  divided.     Anson   incurred  some  censure 
for  assenting  to  the  death  of  Byng,  but  the  stern 
strictness    of   the    law  at  the   time   prevented   any 
interference  with  the  sentence.     It  was   afterwards 
modified  to  the  effect  of  providing  for  '  such  punish- 
ment as  the  court  shall  deem  the  offence  to  deserve,' 
that  of  death  being  abolished  as  the  judgment  of 
courts-martial.     Measures  were  also  carried  regarding 
the  manning  of  the  navy.     To  provide  seamen  for 
the    navy,    without     distressing    trade,    was    to    be 
brought  about   chiefly   by  raising  the  pay  and   in- 
creasing   the    comfort    of   seamen    in    the    service ; 
but  the  exigences  of  war  at  a  late  period  left  the 
expedient  of  'pressing'  still  necessary,  and  it  is  only 
in  recent  times  that  the  wealth  and  liberality  of  the 
nation  has  provided  annually  for  a  certain  number 
of  men  for  the  navy,  and  a  vote  of  money  in  supply 
for  their  adequate  payment.     Much  has  been  done, 
by    voluntary    beneficence     as    well    as    by    official 
attention,  to  improve  the  position    and  welfare    of 
the  navy. 


CHAPTER    XXXVII. 

ANSON  FIRST  LORD   OF    THE  ADMIRALTY— 
THE  SEVEN  YEARS'    WAR. 

TN  175 1,  on  some  changes  being  made  in  the 
•*■  Government,  Lord  Anson  was  chosen  to  succeed 
Lord  Sandwich  as  First  Lord  of  the  Admiralty,  for 
which  no  one  could  be  better  qualified,  as  he  had  for 
five  years  previously  carried  on  most  of  the  duties 
of  the  First  Lord.  No  one  was  superior  to  him  in 
professional  knowledge  and  sound  judgment  in  all 
naval  affairs.  There  was  need  for  such  a  man  in 
the  critical  times  soon  coming  on  the  nation,  for 
within  four  years  Europe  was  convulsed  with  what 
in  history  is  known  as  '  The  Seven  Years'  War.' 
The  peace  of  Aix-la-Chapelle  was  far  from  being 
a  satisfactory  settlement  to  any  of  the  great  powers 
concerned  in  it,  and  those  who  were  most  hostile  to 
England,  and  jealous  of  her  power,  especially  at  sea, 
during  the  short  period  of  enforced  peace  busily 
prepared   for    the   renewal  of  war. 

One   of   Anson's    first   steps    of   preparation    for 
$he  new  war  was  the  permanent  establishment  of  a 

23 


354  FROM  MIDDY  TO  AD  AURAL. 

corps  of  marines,  under  the  immediate  command  of 
the  Admiralty.  In  this  proposal  he  was  carrying 
out  the  suggestions  made  by  the  Duke  of  Cumber- 
land, Commander-in-Chief  of  the  army,  and  of  Lord 
Sandwich,  who  had  advised  it  some  years  previously. 
The  new  corps  was  to  take  the  place  of  those  marine 
regiments  which  had  been  'broken'  or  disbanded 
at  the  close  of  the  last  war.  The  fault  of  the  old 
system  was  that  when  a  ship  was  paid  off,  or  a  fleet 
dismantled,  the  men  who  had  been  serving  as  marines 
were  turned  adrift,  as  being,  according  to  the  Duke 
of  Cumberland's  saying,  'neither  sea  nor  land  forces.' 
The  new  system  established  by  Anson  gave  a 
separate  and  permanent  organisation  to  the  force 
of  marines,  and  the  plan,  which  was  from  the  first 
successful,  remains  the  same  in  principle  to  the 
present.  The  Sailor-King,  William  IV.,  who  was 
also  a  good  soldier,  always  was  a  zealous  supporter 
of  the  corps  of  Royal  Marines,  the  headquarters  of 
which  are  at  Portsmouth,  Plymouth,  and  Chatham. 

As  the  French  were  preparing  powerful  fleets  at 
several  ports,  it  was  necessary  to  have  separate 
squadrons  to  watch  and  to  meet  them.  Anscn 
went  down,  with  the  Duke  of  Cumberland,  to  inspect 
that  under  the  command  of  Sir  Edward  Hawke, 
which  put  to  sea  in  July,  before  war  actually  broke 
out.  In  fact,  there  was  no  formal  declaration 
of  war,  but  both  sides  commenced  hostilities  by 
attacking  trading  vessels  and  by  reprisals.      Hawke 


ANSON  FIRST  LORD  OF  THE  ADMIRALTY.    355 

went  out  to  intercept  a  French  fleet  intended  for 
the  West  Indies,  but  as  it  put  into  Cadiz  on  hearing 
that  the  English  fleet  was  looking  for  it,  Hawke 
returned  to  Spithead.  It  was  part  of  Hawke's  fleet 
that  was  sent  under  Admiral  Byng  for  the  relief 
of  Minorca,  then  threatened  by  a  French  fleet  from 
Toulon.  Byng's  expedition  was  not  successful,  and 
the  failure  caused  great  clamour  in  England.  The 
trial  of  the  Admiral,  and  his  condemnation  to  death 
by  sentence  of  a  court-martial,  is  a  sad  piece  of 
history,  which  it  is  not  necessary  to  enlarge  upon 
here.  The  general  opinion  now  is  that  the  inscrip- 
tion on  the  tomb  of  Byng,  in  the  burying-place 
of  the  Torrington  family  at  Southill,  Bedfordshire, 
spoke  the  truth  in  calling  him  '  a  martyr  to  political 
persecution,  March  14th,  1 75 7  ;  at  a  time  when 
bravery  and  loyalty  were  insufficient  securities  for 
the  life  and  honour  of  a  naval  officer.' 

The  real  cause  of  the  temporary  retirement  of 
Anson  at  this  time  was  the  agitation  produced  by 
the  loss  of  Minorca.  The  friends  of  Admiral  Byng 
had  attributed  his  want  of  success  to  the  inadequate 
preparation  for  his  expedition,  and  the  storm  of 
popular  indignation  grew  strong  enough  to  upset 
the  Ministry.  The  Duke  of  Newcastle's  resignation 
was  followed  by  that  of  the  Lord  Chancellor  Hard- 
wicke  (Anson's  father-in-law),  after  having  held  the 
Great  Seal  for  nearly  twenty  years.  There  was 
much   negotiation   as    to   the   formation   of   a    new 


356  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

Ministry.  It  was  found  that  the  Duke  of  Newcastle 
was  indispensable,  and  that  Fox  was  to  be  in 
the  Cabinet  as  Paymaster  of  the  Forces,  while  Pitt 
was  to  be  Secretary  of  State.  All  with  one  voice 
recommended  that  Anson  should  again  be  at  the 
head  of  the  Admiralty.  The  King  was  especially 
pleased  with  that  part  of  the  arrangement,  and  in  July, 
1757)  Anson  resumed  his  active  duties  at  the  Board, 
which  had  been  for  a  short  time  under  the  manage- 
ment '  of  Earl  Temple  and  of  Lord  Winchilsea. 
The  utmost  exertions  were  made  by  Pitt  for  vigorous 
prosecution  of  the  war  in  the  following  year,  1758. 
The  number  of  seamen  voted  for  the  year  was 
60,000,  including  nearly  15,000  marines.  For  the 
greater  encouraging  of  men  to  enter  the  service,  a 
Bill  was  passed  for  a  more  regular  and  frequent  pay- 
ment of  their  wages,  and  for  enabling  them  when  at 
sea  in  foreign  parts  to  make  remittances  for  their 
wives  and  families  or  relatives.  This  was  the 
beginning  of  a  very  useful  reform,  which  has  been 
since  extended  by  allowing  sailors  to  assign  a  portion 
of  their  pay  for  the  use  of  their  families,  or  for  others 
designated  in  proper  form.  It  was  to  Anson's  care 
that  this  and  other  arrangements  for  the  benefit  of 
the  men  were  mainly  due.  Services  of  this  kind, 
although  useful,  are  not  so  conspicuously  popular 
as  preparations  for  war.  Two  squadrons  were  sent 
out,  under  Boscawen  and  Hawke,  the  two  flag-officers 
in  whom  Anson,  and   the  nation  generally,  placed 


ANSON  FIRST  LORD  OF  THE  ADMIRALTY.    357 

the  greatest  confidence.  Boscawen  was  ordered,  with 
a  powerful  fleet  of  twenty-three  sail  of  the  line,  six 
frigates,  and  other  smaller  vessels,  to  North  America ; 
the  object  being  to  recover  Cape  Breton,  Louisbourg, 
and  other  stations  which  had  been  ceded  to  France. 
According  to  the  Treaty  of  Aix-la-Chapelle  the 
hostile  powers  were  to  resume  possession  of  all 
places,  as  they  were  at  the  outbreak  of  the  war. 
Boscawen  only  partially  succeeded  in  his  mission  for 
the  present,  though  he  inflicted  considerable  loss  on 
the  enemy,  and  received  the  thanks  of  Parliament 
on  his  return  in  the  winter.  Another  powerful 
squadron,  under  Sir  Edward  Hawke,  was  sent  to 
watch  the  French  fleets  in  their  ports,  and  by  attack- 
ing and  destroying  the  defences,  magazines,  and 
shipping,  as  well  as  buildings  of  a  public  nature,  to 
harass  the  French,  and  keep  their  troops  employed 
at  home  instead  ot  reinforcing  the  continental  armies. 
Hawke  carried  out  his  instructions  with  energy,  and 
one  benefit  of  this  raid  was  the  protection  of  Jersey 
and  Guernsey,  for  the  invasion  of  which  great  pre- 
parations had  been  made  at  St.  Malo. 

It  was  thought  advisable  to  retain  a  powerful 
fleet  on  the  English  coast,  and  by  the  end  of  May 
a  splendid  squadron,  or  rather  two  squadrons,  had 
assembled  at  Spithead.  The  command  of  one  of 
the  squadrons,  composed  of  twenty-two  sail  of  the 
line  and  nine  frigates,  was,  by  the  particular  desire 
of  Mr.    Pitt,   taken    by   Lord   Anson    himself,  who 


358  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

hoisted  his  flag  in  the  '  Royal  George '  of  one  hun- 
dred guns.  The  other  squadron,  of  five  ships,  ten 
frigates,  and  many  smaller  vessels,  was  commanded 
by  the  Hon.  Captain  Howe,  of  whose  ability  both 
Pitt  and  Anson  had  formed  the  highest  opinion. 
Howe,  at  this  early  time,  fully  justified  the  expecta- 
tions raised.  Standing  across  the  Channel  he  harassed 
the  French  coasts,  and  in  conjunction  with  land  forces, 
whose  disembarkation  he  had  covered,  Cherbourg 
was  taken,  and  all  the  magazines,  batteries,  and 
stores  there  destroyed,  as  well  as  all  the  shipping  in 
the  harbour.  The  cannon  taken  in  the  expedition  were 
exhibited  for  a  time  in  Hyde  Park,  and  then  drawn 
in  procession,  amidst  the  acclamations  of  the  people, 
to  the  Tower.  All  the  dray-horses  in  London  were 
gladly  lent  for  this  triumphal  service. 

Anson's  fleet,  which  had  been  partly  employed 
in  covering  the  movements  of  Commodore  Howe's 
squadron,  remained  to  block  up  the  harbour  of 
Brest,  where  the  chief  French  fleet  was  stationed. 
He  continued  for  some  months  in  command,  and 
in  the  end  of  summer  returned  to  England,  leaving 
Admiral  Saunders  to  keep  up  the  blockade  of  Brest, 
and  to  look  out  for  the  French  fleet  expected  to 
return  from  the  North  American  station.  All  this 
time  separate  ships  of  Anson's  squadron  were 
cruising  in  the  Channel,  and  beyond  having  the 
good  fortune  to  make  many  prizes,  mostly  rich 
merchant   ships,  Captain   Dennis,  Anson's  old  lieu- 


ANSON  FIRST  LORD  OF  THE  ADMIRAL  TV.    359 

tenant,  made  a  more  famous  stroke  in  the  capture 
of  the  '  Raisonable,'  a  French  war-ship  of  64  guns 
and  630  men — of  whom  61  were  killed  and  100 
wounded  during  the  two  hours'  action  ;  while  the 
'  Dorsetshire,'  Dennis's  ship,  lost  only  1  5  killed  and 
20  wounded. 

During  the  next  year,  1759,  the  war  with  France 
was  continued  with  equal  vigour  by  the  navy,  both 
at  home  and  abroad.  Anson  was  indefatigable  in 
getting  the  fleet  and  squadrons  well  equipped,  well 
manned,  and  well  officered — as  the  names  of  the 
commanders  suffice  to  show.  Among  these  were 
Boscawen,  Saunders,  Rodney,  Brodrick,  and  others 
of  established  reputation,  while  Anson  had  special 
satisfaction  in  giving  commands  to  his  old  associ- 
ates in  the  South  Sea,  those  who  were  then  young 
officers  under  him,  Brett,  Dennis,  Howe,  Keppel,  and 
Byron.  Very  gratifying  it  was  to  their  honoured 
Commodore,  as  well  as  to  themselves,  that  these 
officers  of  Anson  were  selected  by  Sir  Edward 
Hawke,  to  serve  under  his  immediate  eye  in  the 
centre  division  of  the  Channel  Fleet,  consisting  of 
twenty-seven  sail  of  the  line  and  thirteen  frigates. 

France  was  still  powerful  and  rich  enough  to 
make  preparations  for  encountering  the  English 
fleets  at  sea,  and  for  resuming  her  former  policy  of 
threatening  the  coasts  of  Great  Britain  and  Ireland 
with  invasion.  At  Havre,  at  Brest,  and  at  Dun- 
kirk squadrons  were  stationed,  with  great  fleets   of 


360  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

transports,  ready  to  carry  troops  on  this  service. 
At  Dunkirk  a  squadron  was  ready  for  sailing  to 
Ireland,  under  the  command  of  Thurot,  a  notable 
privateer,  whose  adventures  were  as  daring  as  those 
of  the  American  Paul  Jones  in  after  times.  Anson 
had  to  prepare  for  meeting  all  these  threatened 
attacks.  Rodney  was  given  the  command  of  the 
squadron  for  protection  of  the  coasts  of  England. 
Commodore  Boys  was  sent  to  watch  Thurot,  who  con- 
trived, however,  to  give  him  the  slip,  and  managed  to 
arrive  at  Carrickfergus,  where  he  levied  a  contribu- 
tion on  the  inhabitants  and  destroyed  the  fortifica- 
tions. Captain  Elliot,  of  the  '  yEolus,'  with  two  other 
frigates  put  to  sea  in  quest  of  him,  and  falling  in 
with  the  French  squadron,  also  of  three  frigates,  off 
the  Isle  of  Man,  after  a  sharp  action  took  all  the 
French  ships,  Thurot  being  killed  in  the  engage- 
ment. Rodney  in  the  meanwhile  had  destroyed  the 
French  fleet  at  Havre,  and  Boscawen  had  taken 
several  of  the  enemy's  finest  ships  on  the  west  coast 
of  France  and  in  the  Bay  of  Biscay.  The  greatest 
blow  of  all  was  dealt  by  Sir  Edward  Hawke,  who 
defeated  the  great  French  fleet  under  M.  de  Con- 
flans,  and  took  their  best  ships.  On  his  return  to 
England  he  attended  in  his  place  in  the  House  of 
Commons,  and  to  the  address  of  the  Speaker, 
conveying  the  thanks  of  the  House  and  of  the 
nation  'for  his  late  signal  victory,'  Hawke  replied 
in  a  speech  which  is  a  model  of  pithy  and  pointed 


A NSON  FIRST  L ORD  OF  THE  A DMIRA LTY.    361 

language,  very  much  like  what  Wellington  uttered 
on  a  similar  occasion.  The  Speaker  had  delivered 
a  detailed  and  eloquent  account  of  the  Admiral's 
services,  which  he  said  'could  not  but  bring  to 
remembrance  the  design  and  the  fate  of  another 
Armada,  in  a  former  age  of  glory,  whose  defeat  was 
at  that  time  the  safety  of  England,  and  the  lasting 
renown  of  the  English  Navy.'  Sir  Edward,  with 
characteristic  modesty  and  brevity,  thus  replied  :  '  I 
own  myself  greatly  at  a  loss  as  to  the  proper 
manner  of  acknowledging  the  great  honour  con- 
ferred on  me  by  this  august  House,  in  their  distin- 
guished approbation  of  my  conduct  on  the  20th  of 
November  last.  In  doing  my  utmost  I  only  did 
the  duty  I  owed  to  my  King  and  country,  which 
ever  has  been,  and  shall  be,  my  greatest  ambition, 
to  perform  faithfully  and  honestly  to  the  best  of 
my  ability.'  When  he  waited  on  His  Majesty  he 
was  received  with  marked  favour,  and  a  pension  of 
£2,000  a  year  was  bestowed  for  his  own  life  and 
that  of  his  sons  for  his  great  services  to  the 
country. 


CHAPTER    XXXVIII. 

LAST    SERVICES     OF    ANSON  —  HONOURS     AND 
TITLES. 

'  I  ^HE  next  great  event  and  success  of  the  war 
■**  was  the  conquest  of  Canada  in  the  summer  of 
17S9-  The  fleet  on  this  service  was  under  the 
command  of  Sir  Charles  Saunders,  and  the  land- 
forces  were  under  Major  General  Wolfe,  whose 
appointment  over  the  head  of  other  senior  officers 
was  one  of  the  many  patriotic  and  happy  actions  of 
Pitt,  and  which  caused  as  much  displeasure  in  the 
army  as  that  of  Hawke  by  Lord  Anson  had  raised 
in  the  navy.  But  the  result  proved  the  wisdom  of 
the  appointments  in  either  case.  In  the  expedition 
under  Sir  Charles  Saunders  there  were  not  a  few  men 
employed,  some  of  them  in  very  subordinate  positions 
at  that  time,  but  who  afterwards  became  famous  in 
history.  Among  them  was  Lieutenant  Jervis,  after- 
wards Earl  St.  Vincent,  and  Captain  Cook  in  com- 
mand of  a  transport  vessel,  who  was  afterwards  the 
renowned  navigator  and  explorer.  These,  and  others 
of  like  historical  fame,  first  received  distinction  in  the 


LAST  SERVICES  OF  ANSON.  363 

operations  that  led  to  the  taking  of  Quebec  and  the 
conquest  of  Canada. 

The  spirit  and  energy  displayed  by  Pitt  in 
directing  the  operations  by  land,  and  Anson  in 
those  by  sea,  had  now  secured  for  England  complete 
security  from  attack,  and  so  disheartened  the  French 
that  they  only  continued  the  war  in  the  way  of  de- 
sultory warfare,  with  small  squadrons  and  stealthy 
detachment  of  troops  to  distant  enterprises.  The 
English  armies  and  fleets  did  not,  however,  relax 
their  vigilance,  and  powerful  fleets  kept  watch  on 
the  coasts  and  made  daring  attacks  on  those  of  the 
enemy.  While  Hawke  and  Boscawen  were  on  the 
home  station  no  French  fleet  ventured  out  to  sea,  al- 
though they  had  many  ships  at  Brest,  Ouiberon  Bay, 
Basque  Roads,  and  other  secure  places.  When  any 
vessels  were  despatched  to  carry  supplies  or  reinforce- 
ments to  their  colonies,  they  seldom  escaped  the 
vigilance  of  the  British  cruisers,  and  every  month 
increased  the  record  of  successful  engagements  and 
valuable  prizes. 

In  1760  Anson  had  to  bear  the  heaviest  affliction 
which  could  befall  him  personally,. in  the  death  of 
Lady  Anson,  a  woman  in  every  way  worthy  of  her 
illustrious  husband.  She  was  universally  respected 
as  an  accomplished  and  amiable  woman,  and  of  her 
high  spirit  and  pride  in  her  husband  a  single  anecdote 
may  be  quoted  in  illustration.  When  the  great 
excitement  was  raised  in  London  on  the  arrival  of 


364  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

the  guns  taken  at  Cherbourg,  and  their  public  exhi- 
bition in  Hyde  Park,  Lady  Anson  quietly  remarked 
that  they  were  '  keeping  Hyde  Park  for  some  days 
like  a  fair,  and  making  a  fuss  about  twenty  guns 
to  be  taken  to  the  Tower.  I  had  a  great  mind  to 
send  them  to  Woolwich,  where  there  lie  near  two 
hundred  which  my  lord  took  and  never  showed  to 
anybody.' 

Lady  Anson  died  on  the  1st  of  June,  1760.  On 
the  27th  of  October  of  the  same  year  the  King, 
George  II.,  died  at  Kensington.  His  death  Anson 
sincerely  mourned,  for  he  had  ever  been  to  him  a 
good  master,  and  extended  to  him  the  utmost  friend- 
ship and  confidence.  The  accession  of  George  III. 
was  not  immediately  followed  by  any  change  in  the 
Administration,  nor  in  the  policy  and  action  of  those 
in  charge  of  national  affairs.  The  British  fleets  were 
active  at  all  their  stations,  and  with  such  successes 
that  France  sent  overtures  of  peace  in  the  following 
year.  The  proposals  made  by  the  Due  de  Choiseul 
on  behalf  of  the  French  king  were  favourably 
received  by  Pitt  and  approved  by  George  III.,  but 
the  negotiations  were  for  the  time  interrupted  by  the 
treachery  of  M.  Bussy,  the  French  Ambassador,  who 
was  found  to  have  been  plotting  a  new  alliance 
with  Spain  against  England.  Pitt  declared  that 
active  and  decided  steps  should  be  taken  to  resent 
this  underhand  dealing,  and  was  in  favour  of  at  once 
declaring  war  against  Spain,  threatening  his  resig- 


LAST  SERVICES  OF  ANSON.  365 

nation  if  this  were  not  done.  Most  of  the  King's 
advisers  opposed  him,  and  it  was  said  that  some 
of  them  were  not  sorry  to  hear  of  Pitt's  resolution, 
feeling  themselves  to  be  eclipsed  by  his  superior 
splendour.  The  King  taking  their  side,  and  the 
nation  being  wearied  of  war,  Pitt's  resignation  was 
accepted  ;  but  soon  afterwards  war  was  declared  with 
Spain,  and  that  against  France  was  continued  with 
renewed  energy.  Lord  Bute  was  now  at  the  head 
of  the  Ministry,  but  Anson  still  remained  at  the 
Admiralty,  with  the  complete  direction  of  naval 
affairs. 

The  last  time  that  Anson  had  his  flag  flying  was 
in  a  peaceful,  not  a  warlike,  expedition.  On  the 
8th  of  July,  I76i,the  King  had  made  known  to  the 
Privy  Council  his  intention  of  asking  in  marriage 
the  Princess  Charlotte  of  Mecklenberg  Strelitz.  By 
His  Majesty's  command  Lord  Anson  was  ordered  to 
prepare  a  squadron  of  ships  of  war,  and  to  pro- 
ceed with  them  under  his  official  flag  to  escort  the 
Princess  to  England.  The  royal  yacht,  'Caroline,' 
was  prepared  and  newly  decorated,  and  the  command 
of  her  was  given  to  Anson's  old  friend,  Captain  Peter 
Dennis.  Lord  Anson,  having  the  month  previously 
been  made  Admiral  of  the  Fleet,  hoisted  the  Union 
flag  on  board  the  '  Royal  Charlotte.'  The  squadron, 
consisting  of  all  the  other  royal  yachts — of  the 
1  Winchester,'  fifty-gun  ship,  the  '  Nottingham,'  sixty, 
'  Minerva,'  thirty-two,  'Tartar/  twenty-eight,  and  two 


366  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

sloops  of  fourteen  guns  each, — sailed  from  Harwich 
on  the  8th  of  August.  On  the  24th,  on  the  embark- 
ation of  thePrincess,  the  'Royal  Charlotte'  was 
dressed  in  the  several  colours  of  all  nations,  which 
as  soon  as  she  stepped  on  board  were  instantly 
struck,  and  the  Royal  Standard  of  England  hoisted 
at  the  maintop-gallant  mast-head,  the  Admiralty 
flag  at  the  fore,  and  the  Union  at  the  mizzen.  After 
a  very  rough  passage,  which  the  Princess,  according 
to  Anson's  Journal,  bore  remarkably  well,  they 
arrived  at  Harwich  on  the  6th  of  September.  The 
future  Queen  set  off  for  London,  Lord  Anson  struck 
his  flag,  and  the  squadron  dispersed. 

The  King  in  his  Speech  from  the  Throne  declared 
his  purpose,  with  the  concurrence  and  support  of  the 
Commons,  to  carry  on  the  war  with  France  and 
Spain  with  the  utmost  vigour.  Seventy  thousand 
seamen  were  voted,  as  in  the  previous  year.  Anson 
diligently  attended  to  the  affairs  of  the  service,  and 
the  fleet  was  known  to  be  in  the  highest  state  of 
efficiency.  In  the  appointments  to  command  he 
took  special  care,  never  allowing  any  private  solicita- 
tion to  affect  his  choice  of  the  best  men,  all  of  whom 
he  now  knew.  A  nobleman  high  in  the  Government 
recommended  an  officer,  and  was  told  by  Anson  that 
he  considered  himself  responsible  for  the  officers 
employed  on  every  station,  and  he  never  allowed 
any  dictation  in  the  course  of  his  high  duty. 

Of  the  incidents  and  events  of  the  closing  years 


LAST  SERVICES  OF  ANSON.  367 

of  the  war  we  do  not  think  it  necessary  to  give  any 
detailed  account.  Everywhere  the  English  flag  was 
successful,  and  all  regions  of  the  globe  bore  witness 
of  its  triumphs,  both  against  France  and  Spain. 
The  French  found  that  the  new  alliance  had  not 
redeemed,  but  had  rather  augmented,  her  troubles 
and  disasters.  The  two  powers,  being  humbled  by 
the  loss  of  their  possessions  and  the  destruction  of 
their  navies  and  their  commerce,  were  glad  to  sue 
for  peace.  The  preliminaries  were  arranged  and 
signed  at  Fontainebleau  in  November,  1762,  and 
ratified  on  the  10th  ;  and  peace  was  proclaimed  in 
London  on  the  22nd  of  February,  1763,  to  the  great 
joy  of  the  nation.  Lord  Anson  did  not  live  to  see 
quite  the  close  of  the  famous  '  Seven  Years'  War,' 
to  the  successful  issue  of  which  his  naval  adminis- 
tration had  to  no  inconsiderable  extent  contributed. 
Never  had  the  British  Navy  attained  to  such  a  high 
pitch  of  discipline  and  of  strength,  never  performed 
deeds  of  loftier  renown,  or  displayed  greater  ex- 
cellence in  seamanship,  than  during  the  time  when 
Anson  was  at  the  head  of  the  naval  department. 
He  did  not  survive  to  witness  all  the  beneficial 
results  of  the  victories  and  of  the  peace  that 
followed. 

In  February,  1762,  he  went  to  Portsmouth  with 
the  Queen's  brother,  Prince  Charles  of  Mecklenburgh, 
to  show  him  the  arsenal,  and  the  fleet  then  on  the 
point  of   sailing,   under    command    of   Sir    George 


368  FROM  MIDDY  TO  ADMIRAL. 

Pocock,  for  the  West  Indies.  In  attending  the 
Prince  he  caught  a  severe  cold,  and  being  already 
enfeebled  by  gout,  which  was  temporarily  relieved 
by  a  visit  to  Bath,  he  died,  after  languishing  two  or 
three  months,  on  the  6th  of  June,  1762,  at  his  seat 
at  Moor  Park,  Hertfordshire,  and  was  buried  in  the 
family  vault  at  Colwich. 

Besides  being  Admiral  of  the  Fleet,  Lord  Anson 
was  a  Privy  Councillor,  one  of  the  Elder  Brethren  of 
the  Trinity  House,  and  a  Governor  of  the  Charter 
House.  He  was  very  hospitable  and  loved  to  have 
people  at  his  table ;  and  was  a  true  friend  and 
patron  to  men  of  real  worth  and  true  capacity  in 
the  service. 

He  left  his  whole  fortune  to  his  brother  Thomas 
Anson,  who  was  Member  of  Parliament  for  Lichfield  ; 
and  upon  his  decease  the  united  fortunes  devolved  to 
his  nephew  by  his  eldest  sister,  George  Adams,  Esq., 
who  assumed  the  name  of  Anson.* 

As  an  officer  Anson  was  cool  and  steady  in  the 
execution  of  his  duty,  daring  and  enterprising,  yet 


*  The  present  representative  of  the  Anson  family  is  Thomas 
George  Anson,  Earl  of  Lichfield ;  Viscount  Anson,  of  Shug- 
borough,  Co.  Stafford;  and  Baron  Soberton,of  Soberton,  Hants. 
His  father,  Thomas  William,  was  second  Viscount  and  first  Earl. 
In  Peerage  books  will  be  seen  how  many  noble  and  distinguished 
families  are  allied  to  the  heirs  and  representatives  of  the  famous 
"  Commodore  Anson,"  who,  when  Vice-Admiral,  was  created,  by 
George  II.,  in  1747,  a  peer  of  Great  Britain,  by  the  title  of  Lord 
Anson,  Baron  of  Soberton,  Co.  Hants. 


LAST  SERVICES  OF  ANSON.  369 

patient  under  difficulties,  and  endowed  with  a 
courage  that  no  dangers  could  daunt.  He  was  an 
ardent  patriot,  and  served  his  country  with  the 
utmost  zeal  and  devotion.  He  showed  his  inde- 
pendence and  judgment  in  selecting  always  the 
best  men  known  to  him,  and  his  old  lieutenants  in 
the  '  Centurion  '  almost  all  rose  to  high  distinction — 
Sir  Charles  Saunders,  Captain  Philip  Saumarez,  Sir 
Piercy  Brett,  Sir  Peter  Dennis,  and  Lord  Keppel. 

In  disposition  he  was  gentle  and  unassuming, 
courteous  and  kind.  In  all  professional  matters 
his  judgment  was  sound  and  comprehensive  ;  and 
Mr.  Pitt  always  said  he  was  one  of  his  ablest 
colleagues.  Of  what  is  called  '  good  fortune '  no 
man  had  a  larger  share  in  his  time  ;  but  then  no 
man  deserved  it  more,  for  his  successes  were  not 
the  result  of  chance  or  of  patronage,  but  of  personal 
merit,  and  of  well-concerted  and  well-executed 
designs.  On  the  whole,  we  may  say  of  Lord 
Anson  that  he  was  one  of  the  most  illustrious 
characters  that  the  British  Navy  has  produced, 
and  one  whose  name  will  be  honoured  to  the  latest 
time. 


24 


I 


APPENDIX. 

Note  A. 
Entering  tJie  Navy  in  Old  Times. 

N  the  first  chapter  reference  is  made  to  unusual 
ways  of  getting  into  the  Royal  Navy  in  former 
times.  Many  other  curious  facts  might  have  been 
added. 

The  famous  Thomas  Cochrane,  afterwards  tenth 
Earl  of  Dundonald,  at  the  early  age  of  five  was 
entered  in  1780  on  the  books  of  the  '  Vesuvius  ' 
bomb,  then  under  command  of  the  Hon.  Alexander 
Cochrane,  his  uncle,  who  distinguished  himself  in 
some  of  Lord  Rodney's  actions.  Of  course  Lord 
Cochrane  was  not  quite  old  enough  to  go  to  sea 
in  any  capacity  ;  but  the  family  council  determined 
that  the  boy's  name  should,  as  soon  as  possible,  be 
entered  on  the  books  of  a  man-of-war,  and,  the  uncle 
being  willing,  the  future  hero  of  Basque  Roads 
became  nominally,  though  not  actually,  captain's 
servant  to  the  gallant  commander  of  the  '  Vesuvius.' 
The  child's  name  afterwards  appeared,  alongside  the 
same  humble  rating,  on  the  books  of  the  '  Carolina  ' 


372  APPENDIX. 

and  the  '  Sophie.'  It  was  not  until  June  27th,  1793, 
that  Lord  Cochrane  actually  embarked.  In  the 
meantime  he  had  been  gazetted  to  a  captaincy  in 
the  79th  Foot  ;  but  preferring  the  navy  to  the 
army,  he  joined  his  uncle  in  the  'Hind,'  28,  and 
at  the  age  of  17 \  went  to  sea  for  the  first  time  with 
the  rating  of  boy,  at  a  wage  originally  of  £j,  and 
later  of  £9  a-year. 

Lord  Nelson  himself  owed  his  entrance  to  the 
navy  to  somewhat  similar  influence.  His  patron 
was  his  maternal  uncle,  Captain  Maurice  Suckling,  of 
the  '  Raisonnable,'  64.  Horatio  Nelson,  at  the  age 
of  twelve,  went  to  sea  for  the  first  time  in  a  very 
subordinate  capacity,  and  even  in  1773,  when  he 
was  fifteen,  he  was  rated  only  as  coxswain  to  Captain 
Skefrlngton  Lutwidge,  of  the  '  Carcase,'  bomb. 

Other  parallel  instances  might  be  quoted  to  almost 
any  extent.  Admiral  Sir  Charles  Ogle  went  to  sea 
in  1788,  at  the  age  of  thirteen,  as  servant  to  Captain 
J.  N.  Inglefield,  of  the  'Adventure,'  44.  The  name 
of  George,  afterwards  Admiral  Sir  G.  Cockburn,  was 
borne  on  the  books  of  at  least  two  ships,  during 
about  five  years,  before  the  boy  actually  embarked 
in  1786,  his  rating  being  that  of  captain's  servant. 
Sir  William  Hotham,  between  1779  and  1785,  while 
still  at  Westminster  School,  nominally  formed  one 
of  the  complement  of  several  sea-going  ships  in  suc- 
cession ;  and  Admiral  Sir  Willoughby  Thomas  Lake 
went  to  sea  in   1780,  when  he  was  little  more  than 


APPENDIX.  Ms 


seven  years  of  age,  as  servant  to  Captain  Hammond, 
of  the  '  Roebuck,'  24. 

These  cases  were  recalled  in  a  memoir  of  Admiral 
of  the  Fleet  Sir  Provo  Wallis,  K.C.B.,  who  is  now  in 
his  hundredth  year,  and  who  entered  the  navy  nearly 
ninety  years  ago  in  a  similar  manner.  Sir  Provo's 
father,  Captain  Wallis,  in  1765  discovered  several 
islands  in  the  Pacific,  and  especially  Otaheite,  re- 
visited by  Captain  Cook  in  his  famous  voyage  a  few 
years  later.  A  transit  of  the  planet  Venus  over  the 
sun's  disc  being  expected  in  1769,  the  Royal  Society 
persuaded  the  Government  to  send  a  ship  to  the 
South  Seas  for  obtaining  favourable  observations. 
The  '  Endeavour,'  370  tons,  was  fitted  out,  and 
Cook  appointed  to  command  her,  with  the  rank  of 
lieutenant. 

The  same  number  of  the  Times  containing  the 
memoir  of  Sir  Provo  Wallis  mentioned  the  fact  that 
the  present  Sultan's  son,  aged  five,  is  already  rated 
as  a  captain  in  the  Turkish  navy.  There  are  still 
some  curious  appointments  made  in  the  British  army 
and  navy,  but  we  have  got  a  century  beyond  making 
a  child  of  five  years  old  captain  of  a  man-of-war  ! 

Note  B. 

Captain  Cook's  Report  on  the  HealtJi  of  his  Crew. 

In  Chapter  XVI.  we  have  noted  the  wonderful  con- 
trast between  the  loss  in  Anson's  ship,  the  'Centurion,' 


374  APPENDIX. 


and  Cook's  ship,  the  '  Resolution,'  during  his  second 
voyage  to  the  South  Seas,  from  sickness.  A  portion 
of  Cook's  report  to  the  President  of  the  Royal 
Society  will  be  read  with  interest.  He  says  :  '  Sour- 
krout,  of  which  we  had  a  large  provision,  is  not  only 
a  wholesome  vegetable  food,  but  in  my  judgment 
highly  anti-scorbutic,  and  spoils  not  by  keeping.  A 
pound  of  it  was  served  to  each  man,  when  at  sea, 
twice  a  week,  or  oftener  when  it  was  thought 
necessary. 

'Portable  soup  or  broth  was  another  essential 
article,  of  which  we  had  likewise  a  liberal  supply. 
An  ounce  of  this  to  each  man,  or  such  a  proportion 
as  was  thought  necessary,  was  boiled  with  their 
peas  three  times  a  week  ;  and  when  we  were  in 
places  where  fresh  vegetables  could  be  procured  it 
was  boiled  with  them  ;  and  also  with  dried  peas 
and  fresh  vegetables  for  dinner.  It  enabled  us  to 
make  several  nourishing  and  wholesome  messes,  and 
was  the  means  of  making  the  people  eat  a  greater 
quantity  of  greens  than  they  would  have  done 
otherwise. 

'  Further,  we  were  provided  with  rob  of  lemons  and 
oranges,  which  the  surgeon  found  useful  in  several 
cases. 

'Among  other  articles  of  victualling  we  were 
furnished  with  sugar  in  the  room  of  oil  ;  and  with 
wheat  instead  of  much  oatmeal,  and  were  certainly 
gainers  by  the   exchange.     Sugar   is,  I  imagine,  a 


APPENDIX.  375 


very  good  anti-scorbutic  ;  whereas  oil,  such  at  least 
as  is  usually  given  to  the  navy,  I  apprehend  has  the 
contrary  effect.  But  the  introduction  of  the  most 
salutary  articles,  either  as  provisions  or  medicines, 
will  generally  prove  unsuccessful  unless  supported 
by  certain  rules  of  living.' 

Of  these  rules  Captain  Cook  goes  on  to  speak. 
'  The  crew  were  at  three  watches,  except  upon  some 
extraordinary  occasions.  By  this  means  they  were 
not  so  exposed  to  the  weather  as  if  they  had  been 
at  watch  and  watch  ;  and  they  generally  had  dry 
clothes  to  shift  themselves  when  they  happened  to 
get  wet.  Care  was  also  taken  to  expose  them  as 
little  as  possible.  Proper  methods  were  employed 
to  keep  their  persons,  hammocks,  bedding,  clothes, 
etc.,  constantly  clean  and  dry.  Equal  pains  were 
taken  to  keep  the  ship  clean  and  dry  between 
decks.  Once  or  twice  a  week  she  was  aired  with  fires  ; 
and  when  this  could  not  be  done  she  was  smoked 
with  gunpowder  moistened  with  vinegar  or  water. 
I  had  also  frequently  a  fire  made  in  an  iron  pot  at 
the  bottom  of  the  well,  which  greatly  purified  the 
air  in  the  lower  parts  of  the  ship.  To  this,  and 
cleanliness,  as  well  in  the  ship  as  among  the  people, 
too  great  attention  cannot  be  paid  ;  the  least  neglect 
occasions  a  putrid,  offensive  smell  below,  which 
nothing  but  fires  will  remove  ;  and  if  these  be  not 
used  in  time  those  smells  will  be  attended  with  bad 
consequences.     Proper  care  was  taken  of  the  ship's 


376  APPENDIX. 


coppers,  so  that  they  were  kept  constantly  clean. 
The  fat  which  boiled  out  of  the  salt  beef  and  pork 
I  never  suffered  to  be  given  to  the  people,  as  is 
customary  ;  being  of  opinion  that  it  promotes  the 
scurvy. 

'  I  never  failed  to  take  in  water  wherever  it  was 
to  be  procured,  even  when  we  did  not  seem  to  want 
it ;  because  I  look  upon  fresh  water  from  the  shore 
to  be  much  more  wholesome  than  that  which  has 
been  kept  some  time  on  board.  Of  this  essential 
article  we  were  never  at  an  allowance,  but  had  always 
abundance  for  every  necessary  purpose.  I  am 
convinced  that,  with  plenty  of  fresh  water  and 
a  close  attention  to  cleanliness,  a  ship's  company 
will  seldom  be  much  afflicted  with  the  scurvy,  though 
they  should  not  be  provided  with  any  of  the  anti- 
scorbutics before  mentioned. 

1  We  came  to  few  places  where  either  the  art  of 
man  or  nature  did  not  afford  some  sort  of  refresh- 
ment or  other,  either  of  the  animal  or  vegetable 
kind.  It  was  my  first  care  to  procure  what  could 
be  met  with  of  either  by  every  means  in  my  power, 
and  to  oblige  our  people  to  make  use  thereof,  both 
by  my  example  and  authority  ;  but  the  benefits 
arising  from  such  refreshments  soon  became  so  obvious 
that  I  had  little  occasion  to  employ  either  the  one 
or  the  other  influence  on  the  men. 

'  These,  sir,  were  the  methods,  under  the  care  of 
Providence,  by  which  the  "  Resolution  "   performed 


APPENDIX.  377 

a  voyage  of  three  years  and  eighteen  days,  through 
all  the  climates,  from  5  2°  North  to  710  South,  with 
the  loss  of  one  man  only  from  disease,  and  who  died 
of  a  complicated  and  lingering  illness,  without  any 
mixture  of  scurvy.' 

The  letter,  addressed  to  Sir  John  Pringle,  one  of 
the  most  famous  physicians  of  his  time,  is  dated 
5th  April,  1776,  and  was  published  in  the  Transac- 
tions of  the  Royal  Society  for  that  year. 

The  '  Resolution's '  companion  ship,  the  '  Adven- 
ture,' got  separated  during  the  voyage,  so  that 
Captain  Cook  could  give  no  report  of  the  condition 
of  her  crew. 

Note  C. 

Captain     Woodes    Rogers'    Encounter    with    Manilla 
Ships  in   1709. 

An  encounter  with  two  Manilla  galleons,  one  of 
which  was  captured,  forms  an  exciting  episode  in 
the  journal  of  the  Bristol  privateer-captain,  Woods 
or  Woodes  Rogers,  who  also  preceded  Anson  in 
his  voyage  round  the  world,  and  whose  account  of 
finding  Alexander  Selkirk  at  Juan  Fernandez  has 
been  quoted  in  Chapter  XII. 

Captain  Rogers'  account  of  his  encounter  with 
the  Spanish  Manilla  ships,  on  the  23rd  December, 
1709,  is  well  worth  quoting.  These  Spanish 
galleons  had  been  sighted  on  the  2 1st,  but  Rogers, 


378  APPENDIX. 


with  his  privateer  the  '  Duke,'  did  not  get  up  with 
them  till  the  23rd. 

*  A  little  before  daybreak/  says  Rogers,  '  we  got 
out  eight  of  our  ship's  oars,  and  rowed  above  an 
hour,  when  there  sprang  up  a  small  breeze,  upon 
which  I  ordered  a  large  kettle  of  chocolate  to  be 
made  for  our  ship's  company  (having  no  spirituous 
liquor  to  give  them),  and  then  went  to  prayers  ;  but 
before  we  had  concluded  were  disturbed  by  the 
enemy  firing  at  us.  She  had  barrels  hanging  at 
each  yardarm,  which  looked  like  powder-barrels 
to  deter  us  from  boarding.  The  "  Duchess  "  being 
to  leeward,  with  little  wind,  did  not  come  up.  And 
the  enemy  firing  her  stern-chase  several  times,  we 
returned  with  our  fore-chase,  till,  getting  close  aboard, 
we  gave  her  several  broadsides,  plying  our  small 
arms  briskly,  which  they  returned  as  thick  for  a 
while,  but  they  did  not  ply  their  guns  so  fast  as  we 
did.  After  a  little  while,  shooting  ahead  of  them, 
we  lay  athwart  their  hawse  close  aboard,  and  plied 
them  so  warmly  that  she  soon  struck  her  colours 
two-thirds  down;  and  the  "Duchess"  coming  up  fired 
five  guns  and  a  volley  of  small  shot,  to  which  she 
made  no  reply,  having  submitted. 

'  This  galleon,'  says  Rogers,  '  was  called  by  the 
long  name  of  "  Nostra  Segniora  de  la  Incarnation 
Desengano."  She  had  twenty  guns  and  one  hundred 
and  ninety-three  men,  whereof  nine  were  killed,  ten 
wounded,    and    several    scorched    with    gunpowder. 


APPENDIX.  379 


We  engaged  them  about  three  glasses '  (the  usual 
time-marker  in  those  days  being  a  sand-glass  running 
half-an-hour)  ;  'in  which  time  we  had  only  myself 
and  another  wounded.'  Captain  Rogers'  wound 
was  a  severe  one,  being  shot  through  the  left  cheek, 
the  bullet  striking  away  a  great  part  of  the  upper 
jaw. 

On  examining  the  officers  on  board  the  prize 
it  was  ascertained  that  she  left  Manilla  in  company 
with  a  much  larger  vessel,  but  having  lost  sight  of 
her  about  three  months  ago,  they  *  thought  she  must 
be  got  to  Acapulco  before  now.'  This  statement 
was  not  to  be  relied  on,  so  Captain  Rogers  gave 
orders  that  their  prize  should  be  taken  to  Port 
Segura,  and  left  there  with  the  prisoners,  while  the 
'  Duchess '  was  sent  on  an  eight  days'  cruise  to  look 
for  the  other  large  galleon.  On  the  26th  December 
the  sentinels  posted  on  a  hill  above  the  port  of 
Segura  signalled  that  a  sail  was  in  sight  in  the 
distance.  Rogers  was  so  excited  that,  in  spite  of 
the  condition  of  his  broken  jaw,  which  caused  great 
pain  and  weakness  from  his  being  unable  to  swallow, 
he  resolved  to  go  out  with  his  ship,  leaving  the 
prize  and  the  prisoners  in  charge  of  the  second  in 
command,  Captain  Dover.  '  Curiously  enough,'  as 
Rogers  says,  ■  the  Spaniard  kept  making  signals  to 
the  "  Duke "  as  she  edged  toward  her,  under  the 
notion  that  this  was  her  lost  consort.'  On  getting 
nearer  Rogers  found  that  this  was  indeed  a  far  larger 


380  APPENDIX. 

and  stronger  ship,  for  she  had  a  numerous  crew, 
was  of  900  tons,  with  60  guns,  and  in  every  way 
protected  against  boarding,  having  barriers  and 
netting  well  provided.  The  barriers  are  known 
by  the  name  of  •  close-quarters,'  strong  planks  of 
wood  set  across  the  ship  to  serve  as  a  retreat  when 
boarded,  with  spaces  or  loopholes  for  firing.  The 
nettings  are  set  all  round  a  ship  to  such  a  height 
up  the  rigging  as  to  prevent  an  enemy  jumping  on 
board. 

Captain  Rogers  found  that  the  '  Duchess '  had 
been  severely  handled,  having  twenty  men  killed 
and  wounded,  and  a  good  deal  of  damage  done  to 
the  rigging.  This  did  not  prevent  his  having  a 
go  at  the  monster  galleon.  This  he  gallantly 
attempted,  and  for  several  hours  there  was  brisk 
firing  on  both  sides.  But  the  '  Duke's  '  guns  made 
not  the  least  impression  on  the  more  powerful 
armament  of  the  Spaniard,  '  all  our  battering,'  says 
Rogers,  '  signifying  little  beyond  killing  two  men 
in  her  tops  and  damaging  her  rigging.'  As  to 
trying  to  board,  it  was  not  practicable,  for  the 
Spaniards  were  no  doubt  four  or  five  times  more 
numerous.  The  superior  fire  of  the  galleon  settled 
the  matter,  for  the  '  Duke '  got  two  shots  through 
her  mainmast,  which  now  threatened  to  fall  by 
the  board  and  bring  other  spars  down  with  it. 
Then  came  a  fireball  from  the  enemy's  round-top, 
which  lighted  on  the  '  Duke's '  quarter-deck,  blowing 


APPENDIX.  381 


up  an  ammunition  chest,  and  causing  several  men 
to  be  disabled.  The  captain  himself  got  a  fearful 
wound  from  a  splinter,  which  shattered  his  left  foot 
and  ankle,  and  he  had  to  lie  in  great  pain  on  the 
deck,  having  lost  also  much  blood,  and  too  weak 
for  further  exertion.  Round  the  captain  the  officers 
gathered,  and  held  a  brief  '  council  of  war,'  when 
it  was  determined  that  although  '  the  Spaniard 
lay  with  his  mainyard  aback,  expecting  another 
brush,'  it  was  better  not  to  renew  the  fight.  They 
would  not  sheer  off,  and  would  rather  perish  to  a 
man  than  surrender  ;  but  they  would  keep  the  galleon 
company  till  night,  and  then  lose  her,  and  return  to 
harbour  to  look  after  the  prize  already  taken. 

On  arriving  at  Port  Segura,  the  prisoners,  under 
their  captain  and  officers,  with  a  padre,  were  sent 
in  a  small  barque,  well  provisioned,  to  Acapulco,  the 
captain  having  signed  a  statement  that  they  had 
been  very  civilly  treated  by  the  English  during  their 
detention. 

All  this,  and  much  more,  recorded  in  the  journal 
of  Captain  Woodes  Rogers,  Commodore  Anson  had 
opportunity  to  read,  and  to  digest  the  information 
gleaned  from  this  and  other  accounts  of  the  Manilla 
ships,  with  the  prospect  of  a  prize  that  might  make 
up  for  all  the  cost  and  labour,  the  trials  and  dis- 
asters, which  the  squadron  had  encountered.  It  was 
plain  that  the  Commodore,  with  his  reduced  force, 
had  no  simple  and  easy  enterprise  before  him. 


382  APPENDIX. 


Note  D. 

Dollars^  and  '  Pieces  of  Eight' 

In  Anson's  •  Voyage,'  and  in  many  histories  of 
those  times,  also  in  Defoe's  '  Robinson  Crusoe,' 
frequent  mention  is  made  of  '  pieces  of  eight.' 
This  was  the  common  name  then  given  to  the 
Spanish  '  pillar-dollars,'  of  the  value  of  eight  reals. 
The  pillar-dollar  was  so  called  from  the  coin  having 
upon  it  two  pillars,  supposed  to  represent  the  Pillars 
of  Hercules,  as  the  rocky  points  at  the  extreme  west 
of  the  Great  Sea,  or  Mediterranean,  were  called.  In 
Anson's  time  the  Mexican  dollars  and  Spanish 
dollars  were  used  indifferently  ;  but  the  Spanish 
pillar-dollar,  though  minted  in  Mexico,  was  carried 
everywhere,  especially  throughout  eastern  countries, 
and  was  familiar  and  well  trusted.  The  value  in 
Anson's  time  of  the  dollar,  or  '  piece  of  eight,'  was 
a  little  more  than  four  shillings  and  fourpence. 

Note  E. 

Letter  from  one  of  Anson's  Lieutenants. 

In  the  'Gentleman's  Magazine'  for  June  1743 
is  published  a  letter  from  a  lieutenant  on  board  the 
'  Centurion  '  to  his  brother  in  London,  dated  Macao, 
December  1st,  1742.  It  says  :  '  I  take  this  oppor- 
utnity  by  Captain   Saunders,  who  goes  home  in   a 


APPENDIX.  .  383 

Swedish  ship,  a  passenger,  to  inform  you  that  there  is 
still  a  small  remainder  of  that  once  glorious  squadron, 
which  would  have  swept  the  South  Seas,  but  that 
the  great  God  thought  otherwise,  and  dashed  our 
designs  by  storms  and  tempests,  which  occasioned 
diseases  and  separations,  insomuch  that  it  was  with 
the  greatest  mercy  that  those  few  of  us  which  got 
round  Cape  Horn  ever  reached  a  place  to  shelter  in. 
Yet  the  same  God  which  showed  us  these  perils 
assisted  us  in  our  greatest  distress,  by  offering  us 
a  hospitable  island,  after  beating  the  seas  for  five 
months,  with  plenty  of  fish,  water,  greens,  and  some 
goats.  On  our  arrival  on  this  island  we  had  buried 
about  half  of  our  ship's  company,  and  brought  in 
sick  above  a  hundred  and  fifty  more.  We  soon 
found  the  benefit  of  the  land  by  our  people  recover- 
ing their  health  ;  yet  many  of  those  who  went  on 
shore  were  too  far  gone  ever  to  recover.  Here  we 
passed  our  time  recovering  our  healths,  and  fitting 
our  ships,  in  order  to  do  some  matters  in  those 
seas,  hoping  the  rest  of  our  squadron  would  drop 
in  by  degrees  ;  but  we  were  disappointed.  After 
staying  three  months  our  squadron  consisted  only  of 
the  "  Centurion,"  the  "  Gloucester,"  and  "  Tryal " 
sloop  ;  the  two  latter  having  buried  more  men  in 
proportion   than   we   had. 

'On  September  3rd,  1741,  as  we  were  all  at 
anchor  at  this  island,  called  Juan  Fernandez,  we 
saw  a  ship  at  sea.     We  immediately  got  on  board 


384  APPENDIX. 

our  ship  and  sailed  after  her,  but  night  rescued  her 
from  us.  However,  at  our  return  Providence  threw 
her  consort  in  our  way.  She  was  about  four  hun- 
dred tons,  with  sixty-seven  men,  worth  .£18,000 
sterling  in  dollars,  with  some  wrought  plate,  and  a 
rich  cargo.  We  carried  her  to  our  island  to  show 
our  friends  there  that  there  were  some  pickings  up 
to  be  had. 

'September  15th,  1741,  we  despatched  the  "Tryal  " 
to  cruise  off  Valparaiso,  and  the  "  Gloucester  "  as  soon 
as  she  could  be  got  ready,  to  sail  and  cruise  off  Paita, 
in  lat.  50  S.  On  the  20th  we  sailed  to  join  the 
"  Tryal "  off  Valparaiso,  and  fell  in  with  her  on  the 
25th.  She  had  taken  a  ship  of  500  tons.  The 
next  day  the  Commodore  ordered  the  captain  and 
ship's  company  then  belonging  to  the  "  Tryal  "  to  go 
on  board  the  prize  she  had  taken,  and  to  sink  the 
"  Tryal,"  for  she  had  carried  away  both  her  masts. 
We  coasted  along  the  coasts  of  Chili  and  Peru, 
cruising  off  several  principal  ports,  but  met  nothing 
till  we  came  into  io°  of  south  latitude.  On  Novem- 
ber 6th,  1 74 1,  we  took  a  ship  of  300  tons,  with 
a  good  cargo  but  little  money.  I  was  ordered  to 
command  this  prize.' 

Then  follows  an  account  of  other  proceedings  at 
sea  till  the  arrival  at  Paita,  the  capture  of  which  is 
described,  with  a  full  account  of  subsequent  opera- 
tions, and  of  the  terrible  trials  and  sufferings  during 
the  voyage  till  reaching  Tinian,  where  the  survivors 


APPENDIX.  385 


of  the  crews  recovered  their  health.  Then  he  tells 
of  sailing  for  the  coast  of  China. 

'We  arrived  on  the  10th  November,  1742,  at 
Macao.  We  are  now  waiting  to  know  whether  the 
Chinamen  will  assist  us  with  necessaries  to  clean  our 
ship  and  to  stop  a  leak  which  is  very  troublesome 
to  us.  What  will  be  the  consequence  I  can't  tell, 
and  what  will  be  our  next  expedition  I  am  as  yet 
in  the  dark. 

'  You'll  be  desirous  to  know  how  my  Commodore 
and  I  agree.  To  give  you  a  character  of  him  would 
require  a  more  masterly  pen  ;  but  his  favours  to  me, 
as  all  the  other  officers,  are  sufficient  proof  of  his 
inclinations  to  serve  us  all.' 

This  letter  was  written  before  the  final  cruise  in 
search  of  the  Manilla  ship,  and  to  many  in  England 
it  brought  the  earliest  tidings  of  the  '  Centurion,' 
which  was  almost  given  up  for  lost. 

Note  F. 

Ansoris  Trouble  with  tlie  Chinese  Merchants. 

When  the  '  Centurion  '  went  to  Macao  and  the 
Canton  river,  he  had  much  trouble  in  dealing  with 
people  whom  he  calls  '  the  Chinese  merchants.' 
These  personages  interfered  with  the  Commodore 
in  all  his  proceedings,  and  did  all  in  their  power  to 
hinder  Anson  getting  access  to  the  Viceroy  at  Canton. 
The  conduct  of  these  merchants  is  spoken  of  with 

25 


386  APPENDIX. 

much  indignation  in  the  journal  of  the  '  Centurion's  ' 
prolonged  stay  in  Chinese  waters.  Anson  himself 
believed  that  the  action  of  these  Canton  merchants 
was  due  merely  to  their  own  meddlesome  and  crafty 
spirit.  He  was  not  aware  that  he  was  dealing  with 
an  official  and  recognized  body,  and  that  this  board 
of  Canton  merchants  acted  towards  the  '  Centurion  ' 
as  they  had  long  been  authorized  to  act  towards 
all  foreign  vessels. 

Prior  to  the  treaty  of  Nanking,  in  1842,  after  the 
war  with  China,  Canton  was  the  only  port  in  the 
empire  where  foreign  trade  was  permitted  ;  and 
there  for  a  long  period  the  East  India  Company  had 
the  monopoly  of  English  trade.  On  the  Chinese 
side  there  was  also  a  monopoly,  the  whole  being  in 
the  hands  of  a  unique  corporation,  called  the  Co- 
Hong,  composed  of  only  a  small  number  of  Canton 
merchants,  usually  eight.  They  were  held  respon- 
sible by  the  Chinese  Government  for  the  conduct  of 
the  Europeans  in  the  factory,  and  with  them  alone 
in  Anson's  time  could   foreigners  deal. 

This  system  had  prevailed  for  nearly  a  hundred 
and  fifty  years,  till  abolished  by  the  Treaty  of 
Nanking,  when  other  ports  were  opened  to  commerce. 
One  of  the  most  famous  of  the  '  Canton  merchants,' 
and  the  leading  man  in  the  Co-Hong  at  the  time 
of  its  abolition,  was  Hovvqua,  whose  tea  was  known 
to  the  tea-brokers  in  London.  He  was  reputed  to 
be  the  richest  man  in  China.      In  1834  he  owned  to 


APPENDIX.  387 


over  26,000,000  dollars.  When  Sir  Hugh  Gough 
levied  a  ransom  of  6,000,000  dollars  on  the  city  of 
Canton  in  1841,  Howqua  advanced  above  1,000,000 
to  the  Governor. 

Anson  seems  to  have  known  nothing  of  these 
arrangements  at  the  time  of  his  arrival  in  the  river 
of  Canton,  and  thought  that  the  '  Chinese  merchants  ' 
were  acting  only  in  a  crafty  way  to  evade  his 
demands.  It  was  really  the  law  and  custom  for 
all  transactions  with  foreigners  to  be  in  their  hands  ; 
but  Anson  was  not  a  man  to  be  thwarted,  and  he 
resolved  to  deal  with  the  Governor  of  Canton 
himself. 

Note  G. 

Ansoiis  Portraits  and  Dress. 

Our  portrait  of  Anson  is  engraved  from  that 
which  was  taken  in  1745,  when  his  popularity  was 
greatest,  after  returning  from  his  famous  voyage. 
A  later  portrait  was  painted  by  Sir  Joshua  Reynolds, 
after  Anson  was  peer  and  admiral.  We  have  re- 
ferred to  the  influence  of  Anson,  when  at  the  head 
of  the  Admiralty,  in  introducing  proper  and  official 
naval  uniforms,  which  before  his  time  had  been  very 
varying  and  irregular.  In  the  books  of  naval  cos- 
tume, and  in  the  price-lists  of  outfitters  (as  in  the 
catalogue  of  the  'Army  and  Navy  Co-operative 
Stores  '),  the  various  uniforms  of  all  ranks  and  depart- 


388  APPENDIX. 

ments  of  the  service  are  mentioned.  At  what  time 
the  official  costume  of  '  Admiral  of  the  Fleet ' 
attained  its  present  splendour  we  do  not  know,  but 
it  was  certainly  not  introduced  by  Anson  !  The 
•  gorgeous  array '  may  be  imagined  from  the  follow- 
ing account  of  the  appearance  of  H.R.H.  the  Prince 
of  Wales,  when  he  went  as  '  Admiral  of  the  Fleet ' 
to  inspect  the  '  Warspite '  in  the  Medway  in  the 
summer  of  1890. 

'  This  uniform  is  very  seldom  seen  in  public,  only 
nine  individuals  having  the  right  to  wear  it,  and 
five  of  these  being  veterans  of  seventy  years  of  age 
and  upwards,  the  senior  of  all  being  Admiral  Sir 
Provo  Wallis.  The  full  dress  coat,  which  has  a 
white  collar  edged  with  three-quarter-inch  gold  lace, 
has  cuffs  trimmed  in  one  place  with  lace  an  inch 
and  three-quarters  and  in  another  place  with  lace 
one  inch  wide,  while  above  each  cuff  there  are  four 
rows  of  lace,  each  five-eighths  of  an  inch  broad. 
The  skirts  and  flaps  of  the  coat  are  lavishly  em- 
broidered. There  are  numerous  buttons,  and  the 
blue  foundation  is  lined  with  white  kerseymere. 
On  the  shoulders  are  epaulettes  with  heavily-em- 
broidered straps.  The  trousers  have  gold  lace  one 
inch  and  three-quarters  wide  down  the  seams.  The 
cocked  hat  is  covered  with  lace,  and  has  tassels  of 
bullion.  The  sword-knot,  a  "  symphony  "  in  gold 
and  blue,  is  twenty-three  inches  long.  Finally,  the 
sword-belt   is   covered   with  oak  leaves   and   acorns 


APPENDIX.  389 

embroidered  in  gold.'  '  Solomon  in  all  his  glory  was 
scarcely  arrayed  like  this  ! '  was  the  comment  of  the 
newspaper  reporter  present  on  the  occasion. 

Note  H. 

The  Figure-head  of  the  '  Centurion! 

The  '  Centurion '  was  a  good  ship,  having  been 
already  more  than  thirty  years  on  commission, 
almost  constantly  at  sea,  when  she  began  her  famous 
voyage  under  Anson.  She  took  part  in  many  a  fight 
in  the  wars  with  France.  When  finally  broken  up, 
her  figure-head,  a  carved  lion,  rampant,  was  sent  to 
George  III.,  who  presented  it  to  Charles,  Duke  of 
Richmond,  then  Master-General  of  the  Ordnance. 
The  Duke  placed  it  on  a  pedestal  at  Waterbeech, 
near  Goodwood,  where  it  served  as  a  sign  to  a 
public-house.  The  Sailor-King,  William  IV.,  here 
saw  and  admired  the  venerable  relic,  and  begged 
it  of  the  then  Duke  of  Richmond.  It  was  sent  to 
Windsor,  where  the  king  had  it  placed  at  the  head 
of  the  grand  staircase.  It  was  felt  to  be  rather  out 
of  place  there,  so  the  king  sent  it  to  Greenwich  Hos- 
pital, with  directions  to  place  it  in  one  of  the  wards, 
which  he  desired  should  be  called  '  The  Anson 
Ward.'  Here  it  remained  till  as  recently  as  1870. 
It  was  then  removed  to  the  playground  of  the 
Hospital  School,  but  its  decay  was  more  rapid  in 
the  open   air,  and   it  fell   to  pieces  in    1873. 


39O  APPENDIX. 


The  '  Anson,'  one  of  the  finest  iron-clad  war- 
ships of  the  British  fleet,  which  carried  the  Admiral's 
flag  during  the  naval  manoeuvres  of  1 890,  is  named 
in  honour  of  Commodore  Anson.  The  name  of 
his  ship,  the  '  Centurion,'  was  borne  by  more  than 
one  man-of-war  in  old  times,  but  seems  to  have 
long  disappeared  from  the  navy  list  of  vessels.  We 
should  like  to  see  again  the  name  of  the  once 
favourite  '  Centurion  '  in  the  British  Navy. 


Printed  by  Hazell,  Watson,  &  Viney,  Ld.,  London  and  Aylesbury. 


-.'• 


wk  4 


